Prayer, Week of January 10
Sowing with Blessings
"Now He who bountifully supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and cause the fruits of your righteousness to increase. You in everything are being enriched unto all liberality, which works out through us thanksgiving to God." (2 Cor. 9:10-11)
When we sow with blessings to others, we shall reap with blessings from God. Furthermore, the harvest will always far surpass the amount of seed sown. It may be multiplied thirty or even one hundred times. This does not happen miraculously; it takes place according to natural law. God controls the life supply among His children by miracles.
We should sow more and in turn reap more. The goal is not to make ourselves rich. The result is the abounding of thanksgiving to God. I hope that in the time to come many of the saints will become a factor of thanksgiving to God. This means that your giving will abound in much thanksgiving to God. I have the full confidence that if the saints in the Lord's recovery are willing to give, the recovery will never be lacking in material supply. Instead of lack, there will be abounding in thanksgiving to the Lord through many saints. Therefore, let us all practice our giving, a giving which is carried out by gathering and by sowing. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 422, 425-426)
United States
We beseech the Lord as "Head over all things to the church" (Eph. 1:22) to have His way in the United States for the furtherance of His economy and so "that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity" (1 Tim. 2:2).
SoCal Spanish-speaking Conference
This annual Southern California Spanish-speaking Conference will be held online from Friday evening, January 15 to Lord's Day noon, January 17. All messages will be given in Spanish and are open to all the saints. Please note that there will be no English translation this year. Schedule, Zoom links, and outlines will be available starting Wednesday at http://www.socalspanish.org.
May the Lord bless this special time with His presence and His up-to-date speaking!
SoCal YP Blending Conference
The Southern California Young People's Blending Conference will be online from January 15 to 17. May every junior higher and high schooler's heart be open to the Lord. We encourage all the parents, serving ones and college students, to pray that our young people's faith toward God, love toward others, and hope in the Lord's coming would increase day by day.
FTTA-MA
The Middle-age Training in Anaheim did not have classes in 2020 due to the pandemic. In December they announced that they will not have a spring term in 2021. They hope the general availability of the vaccine will allow a fall term in 2021. Please pray that the Lord will restore the environment to normalcy so that the Middle-age Training can be back in session in the fall of next year.
Bibles for America
The BfA Blog has been redesigned with a new look and a more efficient way to find topics of interest. Searching for posts by category or keyword is now quick and seamless. Blog posts are also now easier to share with the addition of text, email, Facebook, and Twitter icons at the bottom of each post and an icon for copying the URL of the post.
Since April of last year, the BfA Blog has averaged 420,000 page views per month, resulting in a record 4.7 million page views for all of 2020. Please pray that this new design would enable more people to find, read, and share blog posts with others. Also pray that the content presented would encourage blog readers to order a Bible and explore more of the online resources BfA offers.
Dublin, Ireland
Please pray for the migration of burdened saints to Dublin, one of six designated European cities. The capital and largest city in Ireland, Dublin is the city in which the Brethren began to meet, and Brother Nee considered the Brethren to be a fulfillment of the church in Philadelphia. As Europe enters a "post-Brexit" stage, Ireland is the most significant country in the European Union with English as its primary language. This offers English-speaking immigrants an ideal landing spot for entry into the church life in Europe. There are currently 40 saints are meeting as the church in Dublin.
Lord's Move to Europe
A two-part update on the Lord's present move in Europe is available as written and video reports at http://amanatrust.org.uk/page/reports.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 5 of Material Offerings and the Lord's Move. Next week, we start The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man (Thanksgiving Conference).
- Andrew Yu Memorial Meeting: The 70-minute online memorial meeting hosted by the church in Anaheim on January 8 is still available to be viewed at memorial-meeting.org.
- Living to Him has released a new podcast series with excerpts from Brother Andrew's speaking, particularly to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at http://anchor.fm/livingtohim.
- Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at https://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings/.
- Radio broadcast in Spanish: El Estudio-vida de la Biblia con Witness Lee is broadcast Mondays through Fridays, 9:00 to 9:30 pm, and Lord’s Days, 6:00 to 6:30 am. LA County 100.3 FM; San Fernando Valley and Ventura County 90.3 FM.
Prayer, Week of January 3
Material Offerings for the Lord's Move
"I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you... for your fellowship unto the furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now." (Phil. 1:3-5)
"And the heart and soul of the multitude of those who had believed was one; and not even one said that any of his possessions was his own, but all things were common to them." (Acts 4:32)
It is a great thing to have fellowship unto the gospel. Unto the gospel means for the furtherance of the gospel. All the full-timers who remain in their jobs and businesses need to have this kind of fellowship, a fellowship for the furtherance of the Lord's move through those who do not remain in businesses and jobs but who are occupied all day with preaching and teaching for the spreading of the Lord's kingdom….
The tithing of ten percent to the Lord is altogether an Old Testament thing, belonging to the law. There was no grace, life, or life power in that. We must be different. We are in the age of grace, which provides us with much supply of life. The dynamic salvation was accepted by Zaccheus in Luke 19:1-10. Immediately after being saved, that sinner gave up so much of his worldly possessions. That was not a tithing of ten percent; that was the very issue of the dynamic salvation. Likewise, on the day of Pentecost all those small members had everything in common (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35). This was not one tenth of their possessions but one hundred percent. They put everything at the feet of the apostles, that is, at the Lord's disposal. That was wonderful. We are in the Lord's recovery; even this matter has to be recovered. (Elders' Training, Book 8: The Life-Pulse of the Lord's Present Move, ch. 9)
A New Beginning
Pray that at the start of this new year the saints would enter into the spiritual significance of the new year by spending time with the Lord to have a proper ending, a new preparation, and a new beginning in Him. Pray that the saints would experience a spiritual new year in the principle of death and resurrection, letting all of the old things of the past year come to an end and being terminated in order to have a new beginning, a good beginning, in resurrection. (Beseeching.org, Days 194, 196)
United States
With an important Senate runoff election in Georgia this week and the Presidential Inauguration later this month, we beseech the Lord as "Head over all things to the church" (Eph. 1:22) to have His way for the furtherance of His economy and so "that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity" (1 Tim. 2:2).
Oak Glen
Due to the pandemic Oak Glen has not been able to host guests for the past 9 months. We are using funds that were set aside for improvement projects to pay for the monthly operating expenses. We have reduced our monthly expenses where possible to help conserve the funds on hand.
To date the saints have given $6,372,135 and there is a remaining target of $1,525,000 which we hope the churches in Southern California can meet. This amount will go toward needed and planned improvements for the property including new cabins and a new 300-plus-seat multiple-purpose building.
The remaining giving goal for the church in Los Angeles is $150,000 by the end of 2021. Saints can make their offerings on a one-time or regular basis through the church app by selecting the 'Oak Glen' designation within the app. Saints are encouraged to plan for their giving over the next 12 months.
Our trust is in the Lord that we can continue to pay the monthly expenses and also improve the blending center for the saints.
Brussels, Belgium
Please pray for the migration of burdened saints to Brussels, one of six designated European cities. Brussels (French-speaking) is the capital of Belgium, and also the de facto capital of the European Union and the European headquarters of several major international agencies. The church in Brussels has 55 saints. Because the antichrist will use Europe at the end of this age, it is crucial that the Lord have a strong testimony in this city!
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 4 of Material Offerings and the Lord's Move. After Week 5, we will start The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man.
- Memorial Meeting for Andrew Yu: Our beloved and faithful brother Andrew Yu departed to be with the Lord on December 20. The church in Anaheim will host an online memorial meeting for our brother this Friday, January 8 at 5:00 pm. You can select English, Chinese, Korean, or Spanish. Go to memorial-meeting.org and the meeting will automatically begin at 5:00 pm. This link will continue to be active following the initial streaming for any who were not able to view it at the scheduled time.
- SoCal Spanish-speaking Conference will be held January 15 to 17. Zoom information will be available closer to the time. Please note that this year's conference will be held in Spanish only.
- Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- 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 December 27
Gaining Christ to the Fullest Extent
"But what things were gains to me, these I have counted as loss on account of Christ. But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is out of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith." (Phil. 3:7-9)
God's purpose in dealing with those who love Him is that they may gain Him to the fullest extent, surpassing the loss of all that they have other than Him, that He might be expressed through them for the fulfillment of His purpose in creating man.
God's purpose in dealing with His holy people is that they would be emptied of everything and receive only God as their gain. He wants His people to gain Him, to partake of Him, to possess Him, and to enjoy Him more and more, rather than all other things, until their enjoyment reaches the fullest extent for them to become the New Jerusalem. (Crystallization-study of Job, msg. 1, VI, II.D.3)
All Things Working Together for Good
Romans 8:28 declares, "we know that all things work together for good to those who love God." The current upswing of the pandemic is very difficult for those who do not daily love and contact God. But divine history is hidden in this human history. During this time, however long it lasts, let us pray that:
- We will not wait passively for a better outward situation;
- The Lord will strip away more of our natural man and impart more of Himself into us; and
- Many people will receive the gospel and turn to pursue the Lord.
A Renewed Consecration
Pray that as we enter into a new year all the saints would see God's need to give Himself to us and dispense Himself into us for the building up of the church, and that they would respond to God's need with a fresh consecration. (http://www.Beseeching.org, Day 190)
Oak Glen
Due to the pandemic Oak Glen has not been able to host guests for the past 9 months. We are using funds that were set aside for improvement projects to pay for the monthly operating expenses. We have reduced our monthly expenses where possible to help conserve the funds on hand.
To date the saints have given $6,372,135 and there is a remaining target of $1,525,000 which we hope the churches in Southern California can meet. This amount will go toward needed and planned improvements for the property including new cabins and a new 300-plus-seat multiple-purpose building.
The remaining giving goal for the church in Los Angeles is $150,000 by the end of 2021. The saints are able to make their offerings on a one-time or regular basis through the church app by selecting the "Oak Glen" designation within the app. We encourage the saints to contribute in the final week of this year 2020 and also to plan for their giving over the coming 12 months.
Our trust is in the Lord that we can continue to pay the monthly expenses and also improve the blending center for the saints.
Bibles for America
2020 has been a groundbreaking year for Bibles for America. Thanks to your faithful prayers, we have been able to continue spreading God's Word not only in the U.S., but also around the world. Below are some of our highlights, which you can read more about on our Year in Review page:
- A record 135,000 Bibles were given away this year
- The new distribution center in Anaheim, CA was opened
- The Share the Good News page was added to our website
- How Can I Know God Exists? (a new tract) was published
- Three videos were produced:
- BfA blog posts were viewed over 4.5 million times by people around the globe
- Our YouTube channel is being improved to reach more people on this platform with the Word of God.
Our hearts are full of praise and thanksgiving to our Savior God for all He's done in 2020. And we trust that through your continued petitions, prayers, and intercessions, He will use BfA to reach even more people with His Word in the coming year.
Barcelona, Spain
Please pray for the migration of burdened saints to Barcelona, one of six designated European cities. Barcelona is a Spanish- and Catalan-speaking city located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Recognized for its cultural, financial, commercial, and historical importance, it is the second-most populous city in Spain and the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the European Union. About 30 saints meet regularly in the church in Barcelona, which took the ground in 2008. The church life is healthy, faithful to the ministry, and steadfast.
For a detailed presentation, go to: https://www.lordsmove.org/pdfs/Barcelona_Spain_2020-Eng.pdf
European Winter School of Truth
The European Winter School of Truth for young people is currently taking place online from December 26 to January 2. The general subject is "The Bible—The Word of God." Please pray for the the young people's participation and openness. Pray also for the spiritual relationship between parents and their children to be strengthened.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of Material Offerings and the Lord's Move.
- Memorial Meeting for Andrew Yu: Our beloved and faithful brother Andrew Yu departed to be with the Lord on December 20. The church in Anaheim will host an online memorial meeting for our brother on Friday, January 8, 2021, at 5:00 pm. Details will be provided in the coming days.
- Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- 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 December 20
LA Semiannual Video Training
The church in LA's Semiannual Video Training is taking place this week on the books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Please pray for the saints to receive and respond to the Lord's burden in His up-to-date speaking.
Bibles for America
Our hearts are full of thanks to the Lord for all He has done through Bibles for America in 2020. We have given away more free Bibles throughout the United States in a single year than ever before. We have also witnessed increasing traffic to our resources (which are available to people around the globe), including our blog posts, free e-books, and videos.
We invite you to read our 2020 Year in Review and join us in praising and thanking the Lord for all He's done, particularly during these difficult times. May His Word continue to spread and bring true hope and peace to people everywhere.
Persevering in Prayer
The website http://beseeching.org is a wonderful resource to help the saints to persevere in daily intercessory prayer. Daily posts consist of suggested prayer burdens based on Bible verses and portions from the ministry. Those who wish to receive a daily email can subscribe on the website.
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.
Europe
Please continue to pray for the raising up of the Lord's testimony in major European cities, including Lisbon, Portugal; Vienna, Austria; Thessaloniki, Greece; Belgrade, Serbia; Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland; Sevilla and Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Tirana, Albania; Gdansk, Poland; Malta; and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Announcements
-
Morning Revival: Enjoy training verses or repeat Week 12 of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
Beginning December 28, we will use Material Offerings and the Lord's Move for three weeks, then The All-Inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man (Thanksgiving Conf.). - 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.
- 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 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 December 6
Shepherds according to God's Heart
"Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of rest. He restores my soul…" (Psa. 23:1-3)
"…Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs… Shepherd My sheep… Feed My sheep." (John 21:15-17)
To shepherd is to take all-inclusive, tender care of the flock. All believers, regardless of their stage of spiritual growth, need shepherding.
All of us need to be under the organic shepherding of Christ and be one with Him to shepherd others. We need to shepherd the flock of God according to the Father's loving and forgiving heart and according to the Son's seeking, finding, and shepherding spirit. We are both sheep and shepherds, shepherding and being shepherded in mutuality; through this mutual shepherding, the Body builds itself up in love. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 11, V.A-E)
Semiannual Video Training
Please pray for the pre-recording of the messages for the upcoming semiannual training. Pray that the ministering brothers will be richly anointed and strengthened by the sevenfold intensified speaking Spirit to release a timely word to the recovery from Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Pray also for the technical matters and for the preparation of the saints to receive and respond to the Lord's burden in His word.
SoCal Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting
This Saturday, December 12, there will be a Chinese-speaking gospel meeting for all the churches in Southern California, held in two sessions: 5:00 to 6:00 pm and 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Live streaming of the these sessions will be at http://thenewman.org/2020gospel. Please pray:
- For the Lord to bind the strong man and release many gospel friends to attend.
- For the Lord to soften the hearts of the gospel friends to receive salvation and be baptized.
- For the meetings to go smoothly without any technical frustrations.
Bibles for America
BfA's Share the Good News website has been gaining more traction over the past few months. Most recently, from October 21 to November 17, the page traffic has shown some encouraging statistics, including 2,714 visits by 1,525 users.
Please pray that those visiting this page would continue to share the tracts, videos, and blog posts with others. Pray also that recipients of these materials would respond to the high gospel and be saved.
Europe
The United Kingdom is supposed to leave the European Union at the end of this month. Please pray for a relationship between the UK and the EU that will not hinder blending among the churches, visitation by the co-workers, or participation in trainings and conferences in the UK and continental Europe.
Lord's Move to Africa
The December 2020 online newsletter introduces the Lord's move in the western part of the African continent. Lampstands have been established in 6 of the 15 countries in this region (Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierre Leone, Togo and Benin) with approximately 2,700 saints in the church life in 54 localities. There are saints in Burkina Faso pursuing the ministry, and our prayer is that the Lord will recover the lampstand in Liberia. Read more at http://www.lmafrica.org/newsletter.
Announcements
-
Morning Revival: Week 11 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. - 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.
- 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 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 15
Being Separated from Worldly Mixture to Enjoy God
"I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world." (John 17:14)
The children of Israel enjoyed the aspect of the world typified by Egypt. Because they were occupied by the riches and enjoyment of the world, they were kept from fulfilling the purpose for which God had created and chosen them. In the same principle, all the worldly people today have been usurped by Satan. As a result, they do not know God's purpose. How we need to thank the Lord for delivering us from slavery in the world and for setting us free from the usurping hand of Satan! (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 16-17)
Jeremiah presents God's economy to us that we may turn back to our source and origin, the Triune God as the fountain of living waters (Jer. 2:13). Then we will enjoy Him and will receive His dispensing into us for the accomplishment of His economy. God will then take care to keep the world away from us. Today in our church life there should not be anything Babylonian. We should clear away any rebellion against God, any exalting of ourselves, and any worshiping of idols. Then we will be God's elect under His dispensing to enjoy Him. (Life-study of Jeremiah, pp. 253-254)
Being Watchful and Beseeching to Escape
"Take heed to yourselves lest perhaps your hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day come upon you suddenly as a snare…. But be watchful at every time, beseeching that you would prevail to escape all these things which are about to happen and stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34, 36)
In verse 36 the Man-Savior charges us to be watchful. Instead of being stupefied or drugged, we need to be vigilant. Furthermore, at every time we need to beseech. This is not to pray in a general way; it is to pray in a particular way that we may prevail to escape the things that are about to take place. As we have pointed out, to prevail in this way is to have the strength and ability to escape the great tribulation. We should not be caught in the trend of today's world. Instead, we need to escape this trend. The strength and ability to escape come from being watchful and from beseeching. If we pray in a particular way, we shall prevail to escape all the things that are about to take place. (Life-study of Luke, msg. 48, sec. 3)
This beseeching is not ordinary, general prayer but specific prayer for a certain matter: being raptured to escape the tribulation that will come upon the whole earth. (Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 6, ch. 59, sec. 4)
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.
LA Ministry & Gospel Meeting
The English-speaking Ministry & Gospel meeting this Lord's Day, November 22 at 11:00 am will conclude our Fall series, "Genesis: A Book of Seeds." All saints are encouraged to invite guests and accompany them to this time. Please pray for many contacts, friends, and relatives to attend and for the Lord to speak to each one, including the younger saints among us. Lord, multiply Your testimony in Los Angeles!
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.
Thanksgiving Conference
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Living Stream Ministry will again modify the format for the upcoming 2020 International Thanksgiving Conference and host it online. The general subject is "The All-Inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man." For the church in Los Angeles, we will gather by languages to enjoy the messages together on Zoom.
The English-speaking meeting schedule will be as follows:
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!
Honduras
In the aftermath of Hurricane Eta, 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.'
India
Through the Lord's speaking in the Memorial Day Conference, many saints in India began contacting their friends and relatives. The common feeling among the churches is that there has never been a time when people in India are as open to the gospel as during this pandemic. Please pray for:
- The campus work, that through the functioning of the college students in contacting their gospel friends, the burden of the gospel and shepherding may continue according to the present situation.
- The free literature distribution during the pandemic, that the word of God can grow, multiply and prevail, and many seeking ones can be gained for the church life and the Lord's testimony.
- The strengthening of the major cities in India, that the saints can be supplied in the word and can continue to grow in life and grow in number for the sake of the Lord's testimony.
More details and photos are in the November issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter at:
- http://lmasia.org/newsletter/2020-newsletter/november/ (English)
- http://lmasia.org/zh-hans/月刊/2020-newsletter-ch/十一月 (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 9 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- 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 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.