Prayer, Week of May 23, 2016
Increase through the Priesthood of the Gospel
“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
The Lord desires an increase through the universal practice of the priesthood of the gospel.
For this increase, let us beseech the Lord that:
- each of us open to the Lord to be joined with a companion or two for the priesthood of the gospel;
- the companions pray regularly for specific people and declare to the Lord, here we are, send us;
- the companions go out to contact and shepherd people;
- everyone be blessed with more experience of Christ in the gospel.
Lord, release a high and full gospel in Los Angeles for Your increase and for Your coming back to end this age.
Memorial Day Conference
Please pray for the upcoming Memorial Day Conference in Washington, DC, on May 27–30. May the Lord continue to gain His increase both within every saint and through the spreading of His Word on the whole earth!
Summer School of Truth
The Los Angeles Summer School of Truth will be July 22-30. The topic will be The Two Spirits. Please pray that all of the young people would be released both inwardly and outwardly to attend this special time. Also, pray that the young people would learn to enjoy and experience the Two Spirits.
Registration and the schedule are at https://churchinlosangeles.org/ssot/.
Oak Glen
The conference center at Oak Glen became the possession of the Southern California churches last December. It is now operated as the Southern California Blending Center. This spring Oak Glen was used for four young people's conferences, the sixth grade conference, FTTA team trips, the middle-age training trip, and by several local churches, including L.A. In the summer it will be used for the West Coast (South) College Training.
The downpayment in December was 20 percent of the price. The churches in Southern California need to pay the remaining 80 percent this year and next. Our contributions to this purchase are part of our functioning as “a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5) because “doing good and sharing with others” are included in sacrifices with which “God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:16). Contributions may be given to the church, designated for Oak Glen.
Germany
May 14 to 16 we had our annual German-speaking conference as well as the first Lord's table of the church in Frankfurt. Approximately 750 (660 adults and 90 children) from 26 countries attended. Among the saints were 67 who recently migrated to Germany from the Middle East. We especially enjoyed the response of these new ones, many of whom were recently saved and baptized, to the conference messages concerning The Gospel of God. Four of these were baptized on the last day of the conference.
We would like to express our appreciation for the prayers of the Body in supporting us. We are full of joy that the Lord has gained another city for His kingdom and are full of expectation that He will continue to spread city by city until Germany, Europe, and the entire earth are His.
We also sensed the Lord was working on many levels throughout the weekend by operating in and encouraging the local German-speaking saints, solidifying the new saints from the Middle East in the church life, and blending the saints from abroad and bringing them into the Lord's burden and flow in His current move in Germany.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 32 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 6.
May 30-June 4, repeat Week 32; June 6-11, Week 33; June 13 to 18, week 34
Hold on to Material Offerings and the Lord's Move Today. We will use it more later this year. - The 2016 Summer Training will be July 4–9 in Anaheim. Registration for video ($80) and late
registration for Anaheim ($205) are open until June 14. - The L.A. Summer School of Truth will be on the Two Spirits; the dates are July 22 to 30.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of May 15, 2016
Companions Practicing the Priesthood of the Gospel
No doubt the recovery is wonderful, but some aspects of the recovery are not encouraging, especially the matter of increase. If we mean business with the Lord for His recovery, we need to consider our present situation seriously; we should not be comfortable concerning the present situation of the Lord’s recovery, especially regarding the matter of increase. (SoCal Blending, msg 3, I.A,C.)
“You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood....But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired for a possession, so that you may tell out the virtues of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:5, 9)
We are priests of the gospel in Romans 15:16; as such we should be built together as a priesthood. The main part of this building is two or three companions knit together by praying two or three times a week, for the sake of contacting people two or three times a week and for shepherding two or three specific people regularly. Lord, raise up companions and build us together for Your increase in every part of L.A.!
Outlines, videos, and audios are at http://tinyurl.com/2016SoCalBlendingConference
Church in L.A. Meeting
The whole church will meet Lord’s Day, May 22, at L.A. Trade Tech College at 10 am (map below). Pray for all to be supplied to attend and to make arrangements for group lunches afterwards. Pray also for rich enjoyment and much blending before, during, and after the meeting, and for fellowship unto the furtherance of the gospel. (We will not have a corporate lunch.)
USC and CSUN
As the school year comes to a close at the semester universities, please pray that our students would redeem the summer months by:
- Staying connected to companions regularly;
- Participating in the day by day, house to house church life;
- Enjoying the Lord’s up-to-date speaking at the Summer Training and/or College Training;
- Contacting incoming freshmen together as the priesthood of the gospel.
Lyman, Wyoming
The church in Lyman will have a blending conference May 21 and 22. We will be taking the ministry from February's Chinese-speaking conference "The Gospel."
Earthquake in Ecuador
Three churches in Ecuador have been much affected by a recent earthquake. Because the government is weak in providing relief, other local churches in Ecuador are trucking supplies, protected by national guard troops, to the three devastated cities.
The saints and the churches need prayer and financial assistance. Checks should be made out to the church here and marked for “Ecuador earthquake relief” or given directly to the Church in Anaheim with the same designation.
Thessaloniki, Greece
We are preparing for a conference here May 20-22. Our prayer is that the Lord will use this conference to solidify those whom He has gained and even bring other seeking ones who would join themselves to His eternal purpose. Regarding this we ask you to please specifically pray for the following:
- That the Lord will operate within the saints in His recovery to come and support the conference;
- That many saints in the small localities in the surrounding countries will come to enjoy this opportunity for blending;
- That the local saints will invite their crucial contacts and that these contacts will come.
Mass Distributions to Refugees in Greece
A series of mass distribution trips of gospel and ministry materials in Greece is continuing through July 5. Distribution teams are made up of saints primarily from Europe, Taiwan, Russia, and the US.
Please pray for:
- the blending of the saints who serve on the teams;
- the Lord’s leading the teams to find the most effective ways to distribute in different situations;
- the openness of the refugees to the word of God and the Lord’s appearing to them as they read it.
Europe, One-Week Trainings
Each of the four weeks in May there are one-week trainings in London open to all in Europe. Some who are new to the recovery attend. Each training is on The Four Great Pillars in the Lord's Recovery: Truth, Life, the Church, and the Gospel.
Germany Gospel Trips
The fifth gospel trip concludes Saturday. Approximately 175 saints are participating, laboring in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, and Düsseldorf, with half the time reaching local Germans and the other half contacting refugees. Two L.A. saints are on this trip. Please pray for:
- a rich supply to the local saints who are coordinating all the practical details of these trips;
- much blending of the participants in this trip and with the local saints;
- continuing shepherding for those contacted in previous trips and their linking to local homes; - more native Germans and more refugees to be saved into the church life.
Announcements
- Morning revival: REPEAT Week 31 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 6. May 23-28, Week 32; May 30-June 4, repeat Week 32; June 6-11, Week 33
- The 2016 Summer Training will be July 4–9 in Anaheim. Registration for video ($80) and late registration for Anaheim ($205) are open until June 14.
- The L.A. Summer School of Truth will be on the Two Spirits; the dates are July 22 to 30.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Joint Meeting of the Church in Los Angeles Los Angeles Trade Tech College, May 22, 10 am
Prayer, Week of May 9, 2016
The Primary Need for Increase
The general subject of the Southern California Blending Conference is The Primary Need for
Increase in the Lord’s Recovery through the Universal Practice of the Priesthood of the Gospel. Outlines (E, C, K, S, all in one pdf), videos (E), and audios (E, C, K, S, V) are at http://tinyurl.com/2016SoCalBlendingConference.
“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Let us ask the Lord to:
- Draw each one of us to Himself for a fresh consecration;
- Bring everyone into this current burden for increase;
- Uplift our practice of companions for practicing the priesthood of the gospel; and
- Motivate us all to rise up in “labor, struggling according to His operation which operates in me in power” (Col. 1:29).
Lord, prevail with this burden of increase in us so that You can have “the consummation of the age.”
Church in L.A. Meeting
The whole church will meet Lord’s Day, May 22, at L.A. Trade Tech College at 10 am. (We will not have a corporate lunch, but we encourage groups of saints to go to nearby restaurants for lunch.)
The subject of the book of Acts is “The Propagation of the Resurrected Christ in His Ascension, by the Spirit, through the Disciples, for the Producing of the Churches—The Kingdom of God.”
The Lord spoke about the church in Matthew 16 but the actual church life began in Acts 2. In verse 46 is the teaching of the apostles (truth), in verses 46-47 breaking bread from house to house with exultation, simplicity of heart, and praising (life), and in verse 47 the adding of those saved daily (increase).
Lord, take us onward in truth and life, and also produce an increase here by the Spirit through the disciples in L.A. (us).
Sixth Grade Baptisms
Saturday, May 14, at 5 pm there will be baptisms at Hall 2 followed by a love feast. We expect more than a dozen to be baptized, mostly sixth-grade students who went to the conference last weekend. Pray for the Lord to grant them a meaningful baptism and a good start to their church life.
Frankfurt, Germany
The annual German-speaking conference is the weekend of 14-16 May in Frankfurt, Germany. The
general subject of the conference will be “The Gospel” (International Chinese-speaking Conference 2016). The messages will be spoken in German with Russian, English, Chinese, Arabic, and Farsi translation via FM radio.
In addition, the first Lord’s table of the church in Frankfurt will commence on Lord’s Day, May 15. We appreciate all the prayers in the Body that the Lord’s testimony would be raised up in this city. This is a real victory for Christ and the church. Please pray that the Lord would firmly establish this lampstand and provide a strong advancement in the church life in Frankfurt.
The attendance at this conference will be more than double the number in recent years. This increase is due to participation by all who are on the fifth gospel trip, recent migrations of saints into Germany, a few dozen saved and shepherded refugees, and many who will come to celebrate the beginning of the church in Frankfurt.
Germany Gospel Trips
The fifth two-week gospel trip began Lord’s Day, May 8. Approximately 175 saints are participating. This trip includes the trainees from the FTTA Boston extension. Four sub-teams are laboring in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, and Düsseldorf, with half the time reaching local Germans and the other half contacting refugees. They will have a break from their gospel labor to attend the conference in Frankfurt. Two L.A. saints are on this trip. Please pray for:
- a rich supply to the local saints who are coordinating all the practical details of these trips;
- much blending of the participants in this trip and with the local saints;
- continuing shepherding for those contacted in previous trips and their linking to local homes;
- more native Germans and more refugees to be saved into the church life.
Lyon, France
Our students registered an association “Chrétiens aux campus” (Christians on Campus) with the government in April. With this association we produced a new gospel tract and went out to campus to contact students. Our students are still praying to see whether it is possible to get a room on La Doua campus (the largest university campus in the Lyon area, home to a university, three engineering schools, and other schools and research groups). Currently it seems that there is no Christian group meeting inside. We are also preparing a Facebook page to present the association. It is a challenging and learning process for every small step. Please pray for the encouragement and perfecting of our students.
UK Building Fund
Those who are burdened to give to the UK Building Fund for the purchase of the farm adjacent to Bower House in London and for the construction of new facilities at Bower House, Bower Farm, and Woodland Camp can find instructions at http://www.lordsmove.org/ukbuildingfund or you may give to the church, designated for UK Building Fund.
Turkey
The book How to Study the Bible in Turkish will be published in May. Our Turkish Rhema Facebook page received 8,900 “likes.” We are trying to enrich the page with multimedia resources. Please pray for the publication and spreading of the Ministry among the Turkish-speaking world.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 31 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 6.
May 16-21, repeat Week 31; May 23-28, Week 32; May 30-June 4, repeat Week 32 - The L.A. Summer School of Truth will be on the Two Spirits; the dates are July 22 to 30.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of May 1, 2016
The Gospel for the Increase unto the Consummation of the Age
The Southern California Blending Conference last weekend has the general subject The Primary Need for Increase in the Lord's Recovery through the Universal Practice of the Priesthood of the Gospel. The three messages are highlighted in the following three prayer topics.
“What will be the sign of Your coming and of the consummation of the age?” “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:3b, 14 Conference outlines, audios, and videos will be posted by Tuesday afternoon at http://tinyurl.com/2016SoCalBlendingConference.
The Contents of the Gospel and the Charge to Spread the Gospel
“Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15
“Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them....And behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
You...need to consider yourself, in particular where you are in relation to the carrying out of God's New Testament economy. What is on your heart? What have you seen as a heavenly vision regarding the divine economy? How will you carry out the vision you have seen? Let us all spend time before the Lord in order to be filled with the burden of God's New Testament economy. LS Acts, msg 67, sec 3
Lord, draw each one of us to have such a time with You to consider these questions thoroughly.
Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, Gaining People for the Kingdom, and Producing the Churches—the Kingdom of God
“When they believed Philip, who announced the gospel of the kingdom of God and of the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized” Acts 8:12
The subject of Acts is the propagation of the resurrected Christ in His ascension, by the Spirit, through the disciples, for the producing of the churches—the kingdom of God.
Let us all be filled with the riches of God's New Testament economy and then carry out the burden for God's economy positively and aggressively. We all can become aggressive if we are filled and saturated. I hope that in the coming years there will be a great increase for the Lord's propagation. May there be a real stirring up throughout the earth! LS Acts, msg 55, sec 3
Practicing the Priesthood of the Gospel for the Increase
“That I might be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, a laboring priest of the gospel of God, in order that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, having been sanctified in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:16
The greatest need in the Lord's recovery is to gain the increase. This increase is not by saints merely going out to preach the gospel individually, but by the saints being built up together to be a priesthood. Such a priesthood enables the saints to conduct themselves worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil 1:27).
In this message, ten practical points were given on how we can conduct ourselves worthy of such a gospel: 1) call on the Lord 2 or 3 times every morning; 2) pray-read 2 or 3 verses, 3) pray 2 or 3 times a day with short prayers to the Lord 4) read 2 or 3 chapters of the Bible each day; 5) read 2 or 3 life-studies a week; 6) attend 2 or 3 meetings a week, 7) meet with 2 or 3 companions a week; 8) budget our time to contact 2 or 3 people a week; 9) shepherd 2 or 3 saints a week; and 10) bear 2 or 3 remaining fruit in 10 years.
Pray that the Lord would bring the church in Los Angeles into this burden and add to the church for the sake of His dwelling place on the earth.
Church in Los Angeles
The whole church will meet Lord's Day, May 22, at L.A. Trade Tech College at 10 am. (We will not have a corporate lunch, but we encourage groups of saints to go to nearby restaurants for lunch.)
Sixth Grade Conference
The Sixth Grade Conference will take place May 6 to 8 at Oak Glen. Pray for the Lord to bring as many sixth graders as possible to this conference from across LA for a genuine and solid salvation experience and (following the conference) to grant them a meaningful baptism and a good start to their church life.
Earthquake in Ecuador
The churches in Ecuador are still recovering from the devastating earthquake on April 16 which mostly affected the coastal provinces of Manabí and Guayas. In the days immediately following, the saints were all accounted for and had not suffered much damage, except one couple and their granddaughter, who died when their building collapsed. As of last week, many saints were still without electricity, running water, and employment.
The churches have responded generously to meet the practical needs of saints in the areas affected by the earthquake. In the midst of this difficult situation, the saints are continuing steadfastly and proclaiming Christ as the gospel. One of the truck drivers hired to deliver supplies was so moved by the love of the saints that he was baptized with joy. Many saints who were not meeting have returned with a fresh consecration.
Please continue to pray for all the saints to be covered and supplied in their practical needs and energized for the gospel that the Lord’s testimony in Ecuador could shine even brighter.
There is a need for financial assistance. Checks should be made out to the church here and designated “Ecuador earthquake relief” or given directly to the Church in Anaheim with the same designation.
Europe, One-Week Trainings
Each of the four weeks in May there are one-week trainings in London open to all in Europe. Some who are new to the recovery will attend. Each training is on The Four Great Pillars in the Lord's Recovery: Truth, Life, the Church, and the Gospel.
Italy
The annual conference is May 7 to 8 in Rome.
Announcements
- Morning revival: REPEAT week 30 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 5.
May 9-14, Week 31; May 16-21, repeat Week 31; May 23-28, Week 32
Hold on to Material Offerings and the Lord's Move Today. We will use it more later this year. - The L.A. Summer School of Truth will be on the Two Spirits; the dates are July 22 to 30.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of April 24, 2016
“He Must Increase” (John 3:30)
The increase in John 3:30 is the bride in v. 29, and the bride there is a living composition of all the regenerated people (see footnote on John 3:30). Lord, burden us for Your increase and bring many more people to Your bride through regeneration!
Acts shows that there was much spreading in the early church, but in this spreading, the apostles did not forget the teaching of the truth and the nurturing in life....Surely, we have to pay attention to the knowledge of the truth and growth in life. At the same time, we need to realize that truth and life are for the increase and spread of the church. (1985, Crucial Words of Leading, Book 4, Chapter 1, pp. 25-26)
We need the help to realize our real situation. What is needed today in the Lord’s recovery is the increase. (1985, The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move, Chapter 4, p. 46)
Southern California Blending Conference
A blending conference for the churches in Southern California will be held at the Ministry Conference Center (MCC) on April 30 and May 1. Ask the Lord to bring 4000 to this conference to experience the corporate Body life and to receive the Spirit's speaking to the churches.
Meeting 1: Saturday afternoon 4:00–5:45 pm
Break (bring your own dinner)
Meeting 2: Saturday evening 7:00–8:45 pm
Meeting 3: Lord’s Day morning 10:00 am–12:30 pm
More information at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. For translation, bring your own FM radios.
Children’s service for Kindergarten through sixth grade will be provided Saturday in Anaheim, and Lord's Day in Cerritos. (During all meetings parents may supervise infants, toddlers and pre-K in an overflow room with a live audio/video conference feed. No children should be left unattended.) Children K through sixth grade need to be registered for Saturday at http://tinyurl.com/2016ChildrenRegistration and for Lord's Day with Keith McKnight kgm10ca@yahoo.com.
Please note: Lord’s Day, May 1, there will be no meetings in any of the halls in L.A.
Church in Los Angeles
The whole church will meet Lord's Day, May 22, at L.A. Trade Tech College at 10 am.
Sixth Grade Conference
The Sixth Grade Conference will take place from May 6 to 8 at Oak Glen. Pray for the Lord to bring as many 6th graders as possible to this conference from across LA—the Westside, Downtown, San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, and any other surrounding areas—and (following the conference) to grant them a meaningful baptism and a good start to their church life.
Conference for Announcing the Gospel to the Nations
Please pray for the May 6 to 8 conference in New York City that will have the burden of preaching the gospel to the nations, with a particular burden for gaining those of African descent. Apparently this burden is a matter of race, but actually it is a matter of ratio. The current number of saints of African descent meeting in the churches in the Lord’s recovery in North America is very low, when compared to the number in the general population.
Our burden is to find a way to contact, labor among, and gain people of African descent both from the college campuses and from the community. Please pray that the Lord would use this conference for the benefit of many of African descent to see Christ and enjoy an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ (Acts 26:18). Also pray that many saints, of all races, would either pick up this burden or, if the Lord leads, attend this conference with a view for the building up of one Body, regardless of race or nationality.
Germany Gospel Trips
The fourth gospel trip is in its second week. Saints are laboring in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, and Düsseldorf. Please pray for:
- a rich supply to the local saints who are coordinating all the practical details of these trips;
- much blending of the participants in this trip and with the local saints;
- continuing care for those contacted in previous trips, and their linking to local homes;
- more native Germans and more refugees to be saved into the church life.
Poland
The annual conference in Poland is April 30 through May 3.
Lord’s Move to Asia
The April issue of the LMA newsletter shares about perfecting times in India (where there are 154 churches), shepherding in Papua New Guinea, and the FTT Tokyo trainees' gospel trip to Nepal.
English: http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/e-2016-04.pdf
Chinese: http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Asia-2016-04.pdf
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 30 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 5.
May 2-7, repeat Week 30; May 9-14, Week 31; May 16-21, repeat Week 31 - The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland: http://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of April 18, 2016
Prayer at the Incense Altar
The incense altar in Exo. 30:1-10 signifies Christ as the Intercessor to maintain the relationship between God and His people. In Rev. 8:3-4, the incense altar is the executing center of God’s administration.
Do you know what is the “motor” in our being, the motor in our body, soul, and spirit? The motor is the prayer life. Christ is not only the bread, the light, and the Ark—He is also the incense altar. This means that He is the motivator and even the motor. Therefore, we need to enjoy Him as our prayer.
The proper prayer life is a life of praying for others, of interceding for them. We need to pray for the churches throughout the earth and for all the saints. We need to pray for the older ones, the younger ones, and the opposers. Day by day we need to pray not mainly for ourselves, but for others. We need such an interceding life. The intercession offered at the incense altar should be daily increasing. (HWMR Week 29, Days 1-2).
Southern California Blending Conference
A blending conference for the churches in Southern California will be held at the Ministry Conference Center (MCC) on April 30 and May 1. The schedule will be as follows:
Meeting 1: Saturday afternoon 4:00–5:45 pm
Break (bring your own dinner)
Meeting 2: Saturday evening 7:00–8:45 pm
Meeting 3: Lord’s Day morning 10:00 am–12:30 pm
Children’s service will be provided only for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade, and only for the meetings on Saturday. (Parents may supervise infants, toddlers and pre-K in an overflow room with a live audio/video conference feed. No children should be left unattended.)
All children need to be registered beforehand at http://tinyurl.com/2016ChildrenRegistration.
For translation, bring your own FM radios. More info at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Spanish-speaking Brothers’ Training
Saturday, April 23 there will be a training for Southern California Spanish-speaking responsible brothers. Lord, perfect these brothers for the work of Your ministry unto the building up of Your Body.
Summer Training Registration
Summer Training registration is still open; $155 for Anaheim, July 4-9; $80 for video. To register with L.A., go to http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla. Deadline is April 26. A paper registration form is available in some halls as an alternative.
Ask the Lord to increase our number participating in His speaking to the churches in this training.
Ecuador
Last Saturday, April 16, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck off Ecuador’s central coast, destroying buildings and highways, killing a few hundred people, and injuring thousands more. The coastal province of Manabi was hardest hit, but damage was widespread throughout the country. We are waiting to receive any news concerning the saints who meet with the churches in the affected areas.
This earthquake follows two deadly quakes in Japan the previous week. Please pray for the protection and needs of the saints, as well as for the hearts of people to be open for the gospel.
Germany Gospel Trips
The fourth two-week gospel trip began Lord's Day, April 17. Monday is orientation; Tuesday the four sub-teams split to labor in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, and Düsseldorf. Please pray for:
- a rich supply to the local saints who are coordinating all the practical details of these trips;
- much blending of the participants in this trip;
- continuing care and growth in life for those contacted in previous trips;
- more native Germans and more refugees to be saved into the church life.
A Brief Update Concerning Europe
The recent happenings in Germany and other countries have caused an awakening in the people of Europe. It is an unsettling time in Europe. This has caused a new openness among the Europeans.
There is the need for further capacity for blending and training for all Europeans. In anticipating this need, we have spent the past few years considering some appropriate facilities. In the London area, several projects have been proposed, including improvements to the facilities at Bower House, the acquisition and development of an adjacent property called Bower Farm, and the development of a 17- acre recreational site called Woodland Camp that was purchased in 2013.
If we are able to move forward with these plans, we can enlarge our capacity for the Full-time Training in London (FTTL) and simultaneously have capacity for other events such as one-week trainings, weekend events, and potentially even a middle-age training for Europe.
The full report concerning this and other burdens is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
For information regarding gifts toward the purchase of Bower Farm and the construction of new facilities in London, please visit: http://lordsmove.org/ukbuildingfund.
European Brothers’ Training
The Spring 2016 European Brothers’ Training will be April 22–24 in London. This primarily will be a re-speaking of the April ITERO in Anaheim.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 29 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 5.
- Summer Training registration is still open; $155 for Anaheim, July 4-9; $80 for video in LA. To register with L.A., go to http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla. Deadline is April 26.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be at Oak Glen, May 6-8. Registration deadline is April 24.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland: http://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of April 10, 2016
God, Whom I Serve in My Spirit (Rom. 1:9a)
The subject of ITERO was Service for the Building Up of the Church. A brief overview:
- our service originates with a heavenly vision (Acts 26:19), not tradition or knowledge
- our service is by the divine supply of the processed Triune God
- our service is in spirit, with no confidence in what we are by natural birth (Phil 3:3)
“We serve in newness of spirit” (Rom. 7:6)
- our service is by the Lord's resurrection life, not by our natural ability or learning
- the unique source of all we do is God, not our enthusiasm or determination
“Out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” (Rom. 11:36)
- God's operation in us brings forth our service (Phil. 2:13)
- our service is by eating Christ to live a duplication of His God-man living
- our service is energized by heavenly fire in us (2 Tim. 1:6-7), not by needs, zeal, or good motives
“Burning in spirit, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11)
- our service for the building up is a life-experiencing and life-ministering service (1 John 5:16)
Lord, in the next ten years work out all these points in thousands of us to produce an overcoming ministry of life to build up Your Body and to bring You back.
Spring College Conference
The Spring College Conference will be in Anaheim April 15 to 17. The subject is The Divine Commission according to the Heavenly Vision.
High School Sisters’ Conference
The High School Sisters' Conference is April 15-17 at Oak Glen. The conference will be on Men Who Turn the Age: Samuel. Please pray for the Lord to release His speaking and gain a group of young Nazarites to be age turners for His economy.
Bibles for America
BfA released a new gospel tract titled “No Longer Enemies.” Based on Romans 5:10, the tract shows that fallen sinners, though enemies of God, can be reconciled to God through the death of His Son.
Please pray that the Lord would speak faith into many people through this new tract and the other tracts and materials available through BfA. Please also pray that we all would enter into a normal and healthy gospel living.
Europe
The recent happenings in Germany and other countries have caused an awakening in the people of Europe. Things are not as they once were. It is an unsettling time in Europe. This has caused a new openness among the Europeans. May our prayers give the Lord His way in the midst of this.
London Bookshop Seminars
Starting this month, the Amana Trust Bookshop in central London will be open every Lord’s Day
afternoon from 2–5 pm for a Life-study of Revelation live broadcast at 3 pm followed by additional fellowship, including short presentations concerning the truths in the Life-study of the Bible and some refreshments. The burden is to provide a venue for Bible recipients and radio listeners to meet the saints for care and fellowship. May the Lord supply and energize the saints in London to cooperate with Him to meet the needs of His seeking ones.
France
The annual conference in Paris will be April 16 to 17. It will be followed by a day and a half of fellowship by saints serving in French translation for LSM.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Greetings from Thessaloniki! We are continuing to assist the teams that are arriving to participate in the mass distribution of the ministry materials to the refugees who are now encamped in Greece.
In addition, we have been enjoying what the Lord is doing among our contacts here. A sister with whom we’ve been having regular fellowship for years left her denomination and has been meeting with us regularly for several months. She is an avid enjoyer of the ministry and loves to speak to others. We believe that the Lord will use her to bring many of her fellow Greeks into His recovery.
Two native Greeks are now joining us regularly on the Lord’s Day. We enjoy singing, praying, and reading the ministry together. A recent Lord's Day we were joined by another Greek brother who witnessed such a normal, enjoyable meeting for the first time. We pray that the Lord will add him, his wife, and many more native Greeks in the coming months.
We are very thankful for your remembering us in your prayers. We desperately need them. The Lord be with your spirit!
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 28 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 5.
Hold on to Material Offerings and the Lord's Move Today. We will use it again later this year. - Summer Training registration is open now; $155 for Anaheim, July 4-9; $80 for video in LA. To register with L.A., go to http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be at Oak Glen, May 6-8. Registration deadline is April 24.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of April 3, 2016
ITERO
The international training for elders and responsible brothers will be April 8 to 10 in Anaheim. Lord, refresh the vision of every brother and blend all the churches more into the reality of the one Body.
CSUN Incoming Students
This Saturday all the incoming freshmen and transfer students are invited to visit CSUN. Our students will have a club table at this time. Please pray for our students, especially the newer ones among us: (1) to pickup the burden for this time to serve and contact the incoming students, (2) to be a shining testimony to draw the seekers to the table, and (3) to have a good way to follow up with the positive contacts.
Brooklyn, New York
Saints in New York City have begun a specific labor to reach people in Brooklyn with the gospel and the free offers from BfA. In February and March, the saints participated in two times of community outreach that included preaching the gospel and passing out free Bible offers, gospel tracts, and invitations to two BfA Bible seminars.
On April 16, the saints will hold a gospel meeting in Brooklyn, followed by another time of outreach and a Bible seminar toward the end of the month. They also plan to invite many of the people they meet in these times of sowing to a conference on the weekend of May 6–8.
Please pray that the Father would bless the saints’ labor and fill their hands with fruit from the borough of Brooklyn. May the Lord richly supply the workers for their continued labor in the gospel and in shepherding the new believers!
Germany
This is the second week of the third gospel trip. There is the realization that the saints' homes are where the Lord will gain the remaining fruit. Please pray for
- the strengthening of the local saints’ homes and the linking of the gospel contacts to the homes;
- the acquiring of facilities, by renting or purchase, for coordination and gospel meetings; - all those who are migrating to Germany and that this flow will continue for the strengthening of the churches and for the bearing of remaining fruit among the local Germans and the refugees.
Budapest, Hungary
Lord’s Day, March 13, the universal Body brought forth a local expression in Budapest. It was glorious, with approximately 180 saints from 20 countries meeting as the one Body of Christ for the first bread breaking in Budapest. The saints were full of rejoicing, testifying that this lampstand was the result of much prayer for many years. A number of saints in attendance had labored in Hungary in past years. Their rejoicing brought back the Lord’s word in John 4:36-37: “...in order that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true, One sows and another reaps.” There was a sense that the Lord was so happy, not only with the establishment of the table in Budapest but also with the blending together. This was confirmed by exhortations in the sharing that the crucial need in the Lord’s recovery is the blending among the saints and the churches. May the Lord fulfill His need in Europe.
Childcare at SoCal Blending Conference
Children’s service will be provided only for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade, and only for the meetings on Saturday, April 30. (Parents may supervise infants, toddlers and pre-K in an overflow room with a live audio/video conference feed. No children should be left unattended.)
All children need to be registered beforehand at http://tinyurl.com/2016ChildrenRegistration.
Please register all children no later than Lord’s Day, April 17.
Each hall in L.A. should discuss what to do with their children on Lord’s Day, May 1.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 27 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 5.
- High School Sisters Conference is April 15-17 at Oak Glen; registration deadline is April 3.
- The Spring College Conference will be in Anaheim April 15 to 17. http://www.college-conference.com/.
- Summer Training registration is open now; $155 for Anaheim, July 4-9; $80 for video in LA.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of March 27, 2016
He Must Increase
Today in the Lord’s recovery the greatest need, the primary need, is to gain the increase. A house cannot be built without materials. We need to save sinners through the preaching of the gospel that they may become material for the building up of the church as the house of God....If we mean business with the Lord for His recovery, we need to consider our present situation seriously. We should not be comfortable concerning the present situation of the Lord’s recovery, especially regarding the matter of increase. (1992, Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, Chapter 19, pp. 184-185)
Increase is the burden for the Southern California Blending Conference, Saturday, April 30, 4 to 5:45 pm and 7 to 8:45 pm (bring your own dinner) and Lord's Day, May 1, 10 am to 12:30 pm. Translation into Spanish, Chinese, and Korean will be available through personal FM radios. Information about limited childcare will be provided in the coming weeks.
Junior High Sisters Conference
The Junior High Sisters Conference is April 1-3 at Oak Glen.
Oak Glen
In December 2015 the churches in Southern California became owners of the Southern California Blending Center at Oak Glen (https://oakglen.org). This spring all our young people's conferences are here. The downpayment was 20 percent of the purchase price. The seller is loaning us 80 percent, to be paid through 2016 and 2017. Thank the Lord for this purchase and ask Him to keep us in His grace for our giving (to the church, marked for Oak Glen) for the payment of this loan.
Germany
In addition to the on-going labor by local saints and visiting full-timers, the third two-week, follow-up gospel trip began Lord's Day, March 27 (none from L.A. are on this trip, but five sisters formerly in L.A. are on the trip; ask the Lord to release more for the following trips). Please pray:
- that the Lord of the harvest will thrust out more workers into the harvest in Germany;
- for the continuing shepherding care of the refugees to bring them to salvation and into the church life;
- that the Lord will raise up more translators and perfect many of them to be our co-workers;
- for the openness of the German people to the gospel and the ministry;
- for the strengthening of the church life in Germany through an increase in number and the growth and building up in life.
Frankfurt, Germany
Our annual German-speaking conference will be the weekend of May 14 to 16 in Frankfurt. We also plan to start the Lord's table in Frankfurt that weekend when the German-speaking saints are together. We expect 600+ saints to attend (much larger than prior years). Please pray for:
- the release of a conference venue to accommodate all the saints, and
- the finding and release of a facility to meet the current on-going need in the day-to-day church life in Frankfurt and in the work with the refugees and Bible recipients.
Summer Training Registration
Summer Training registration is open now; $155 for Anaheim, July 4-9; $80 for video in LA. Register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla. A paper form is available in the halls as an alternative.
Ask the Lord to increase our number participating in His speaking to the churches in this training.
Albania
Thank you so much for your prayers for Albania and for the Yowells' trip there last week! It was evident in so many ways that the Lord's blessing was on this trip. There was a sweet anointing as we spent the week with the Changs and Carol Song. The Lord truly flowed in a divinely human way.
Furthermore, we had the largest gathering of saints together at one time at the Changs' place—13 adults and 7 kids! For 2 newer ones, it was their first Lord's day meeting. Another family (Mark and Irina) opened their home for the first time and invited us and the Changs for a meal. We also were able to spend quality time with Stela, a key sister there, despite her busy work schedule.
In one gathering, we covered Matthew 26 on loving the Lord and consecrating to Him. In another gathering we fellowshipped about the need for regular prayer in twos and threes. Later, we also began to teach some saints how to pray-read.
Overall, it was such a precious time. We need to continue to stand with the Changs as they continue to stand for the Lord's move there. It is not easy to be there, and they need continued blending in order to receive the supply from the Body. Please see this video for more direction in your prayer: https://youtu.be/ 5nRw7PD84wA.
Lord's Move to Asia
The current two-page newsletter has good reports from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/E-2016-03.pdf (English)
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Asia-2016-03.pdf (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 26 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 5.
- High School Sisters Conference is April 15-17 at Oak Glen; registration deadline is April 3.
- The Spring College Conference will be in Anaheim April 15 to 17. http://www.college-conference.com/.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu.
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http://facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk.
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
Prayer, Week of March 20, 2016
Christ for Carrying Out God's Economy
“I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the expiation cover, from between the two cherubim which are upon the Ark of the Testimony.” (Exodus 25:22)
The Ark typifies Christ as the embodiment of God and as the presence of the Triune God with us for the carrying out of His economy to establish His kingdom on earth. (Exodus, week 25, I.)
“Father...Your kingdom come...on earth.” (Matt. 6:9-10)
CSUN Blending Trip
The CSUN students are currently blending with the saints in San Jose. They arrived last Saturday night and will return on Wednesday, March 23. Please pray that:
the students would get a taste for blending and see the practical expression of the Body of Christ; the trip would be filled with much enjoyment of the Lord—singing, praying, preaching, and praising; all the students would be refreshed in their whole being for a strong pursuit the rest of this semester.
UCLA Blending Trips
Sixty students and serving ones from UCLA are currently on three simultaneous spring break trips: one to Tennessee; one to Salt Lake City; and one to Seattle and Vancouver. All groups will return by Saturday, March 26. Please pray that these trips would be filled with the exercise and release of the spirit that both God and men would be honored (Judges 9:9).
Junior High Brothers Conference
The Junior High Brothers Conference is March 25–27 at Oak Glen.
Germany
The second follow-up gospel trip ended last Saturday. The third begins Lord's Day, March 27.
Please pray for:
- the follow up of all the priority gospel contacts met in these trips;
- the raising up and perfecting of the translators;
- the Lord to gain this harvest of both native Germans and refugees for Himself;
- the saints who live in Germany to know the bountiful supply of the Spirit to meet every need.
Some personal testimonies from gospel trips are below the announcements.
Africa
On Monday, March 21, Dick Taylor and others arrive in Accra, Ghana to fellowship with the saints and responsible brothers. On Friday, March 25, Dick and Paul Nii-Aryee will fly to Lagos, Nigeria for a conference, while Tim Knoppe from Michigan and James Lee remain in Accra for a parallel conference.
On the evening of March 27, Dick and Paul return to Accra to begin the training for elders and responsible ones there. Please continue to pray for the covering of all the brothers’ travels and for the Lord’s speaking and blessing in all these gatherings.
Albania
More than 3 years ago, a family from L.A. (David and Elda Chang with their 2 girls) migrated to Tirana, Albania for the Lord's move there. This past year, another sister from L.A. (Carol Song) joined them to further strengthen the Lord's testimony. This week the Yowell family is visiting Tirana, Albania. The saints in Tirana already had their Lord's day meeting, a very sweet time with 13 adults and 7 children, followed by lunch and encouraging blending. To gather this many saints together at one time in Albania has never happened before. Furthermore, it was the first Lord's day meeting for 2 of these ones. Please pray that in the coming week:
- there can be much more profitable contact with the local saints, despite their busy and challenging schedules;
- specific shepherding can be rendered to the promising young ones so that they grow and advance in the Lord;
- the Lord would be wisdom for how to strengthen the saints here in an organic way through the blending.
Europe
The spring international blending conference will be in London March 25 to 27.
Mass Distributions in Greece
The first series of mass distributions of gospel and ministry materials among the refugees concluded in February. Another series of distribution trips is planned from March 31 through July 5. The distribution teams consist of saints primarily from Europe, Taiwan, Russia, and the US. Please pray for:
- the blending of the saints who serve on the teams;
- the Lord’s leading the teams to find the most effective ways to distribute;
- the openness of the refugees to the word of God and the Lord’s appearing to them as they read it.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 25 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 5.
Hold on to Material Offerings and the Lord's Move Today. We will use it more later this year. - Junior High Sisters Conference is April 1-3; registration deadline is March 20. High School Sisters Conference is April 15-17; registration deadline is April 3. Both are at Oak Glen.
- The Spring College Conference will be held in Anaheim April 15 to 17. More at http://www.college-conference.com.
- The European YP Conference will be July 29 to August 4 in Poland; https://ypconference.eu .
- The Lord’s move in Germany:
Reports are on a public Facebook page Germany Update http:facebook.com/germanyupdate. Information about follow-up gospel trips is at http://germany2016.amanatrust.org.uk .
Giving for the Gospel Work in Europe instructions are at http://www.lordsmove.org/information.html.
RECENT TESTIMONIES FROM GERMANY
“We love you and we love our Lord Jesus” - A refugee family after a gospel dinner.
“With all these refugees coming here, this is a turbulent time for us” - An 18 year old German student. We realized that the refugee situation has also made the local people more open than before.
“I cannot understand why someone who does not know me will shed tears for me” - A refugee widow with a child. She had noticed a sister shedding tears while this sister was praying for her.
We spent almost the whole day with a brother who has been a hidden Christian for years. He asked to come to the Lord's Day meeting and he really enjoyed the time. He grew up in a Christian home yet their family has to be underground or they could be imprisoned or even executed. At one point, his father was put in prison for 4 years. While he was in university, during a lecture he asked a question about Islam and he was taken aside and interrogated, after which he was kicked out of the university and all his records erased. Because his life was in danger, he had to flee. When he finally got to Germany (that story in itself is a miracle), he visited several churches, but didn't feel any peace. As soon as he saw the brothers during the first gospel trip, immediately he felt peace. He kept trying to explain how he felt when he first met us because it was such a miracle to him. He already told his family back home about us.
An Arabic speaking brother wrote: I have never seen a people more open for contact in my entire Christian life than these refugees. Almost every person we talked to (in the way of just wanting to care for them) would talk as long as we would listen. The suffering of these people is unimaginable and they feel that no one is listening to them. Praise the Lord for what He is doing and His love for man! The world has been turned upside down! Devout Muslims are in tears declaring that Jesus is Lord and receiving Him. Islam has been exposed to them and many are willing to hear about a God of love who wants to be their life.
After considerable discussion about good and evil vs. life, a sister led a refugee woman into a simple and sweet prayer of salvation. And she said “believing is in my heart, not just in my words.” How sweet her clear realization. Then she prayed for her family to be saved also. Her countenance was uplifted and her face was shining. What an amazing experience! Oh Lord Jesus! what a Wonderful Savior!