Week of March 1, 2026

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Christ Versus Religion

“…He said, Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are ill.” (Matt. 9:12)

“And Jesus said to them, The sons of the bridechamber cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they?” (Matt. 9:15a)

Both a physician and a bridegroom are pleasant persons…The kingly Savior first healed His followers and then made them the sons of the bridechamber; eventually, He will make them His bride. They should have laid hold of Him not only as their Physician, that their life might be recovered, but also as their Bridegroom, that they might have the enjoyment of living in His presence. They were with Him at a joyful wedding, not without Him at a mournful funeral. How then could they fast and not feast before Him? This dissenting question from John’s disciples indicated that some of them had fallen into a new religion and had rejected the kingly Savior.

The question from John’s disciples seemed to relate to doctrine. However, the Lord did not answer with a doctrine but with a person, the most pleasant person, the Bridegroom. The religious people always care for their doctrine with their doctrinal reasonings. But Christ cares only for Himself. The living and walk of His followers should be regulated and directed only by Himself and His presence, not by any doctrine. (Life study of Matthew, pp. 316-317)

As the Physician and the Bridegroom, Christ is versus religion. The Lord Jesus does not care for religious tradition; He cares for inward reality. (The All-inclusive Christ as Revealed in Matthew, msg. 2, I.C-D)

Let us pray for the saints to come outside religion to experience and enjoy Christ as the Physician and the Bridegroom!

The World Situation and Our Preparation

“Jesus Christ…the Ruler of the kings of the earth.” (Rev. 1:5)

“And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages might serve Him. His dominion is an eternal dominion, which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:14)

In these days, let us pray that the Lord, as the Ruler, exercise His rule over every nation and situation as part of the outward preparation to end this age and prepare the earth for His return. Pray that the current situation in the Middle East and beyond cause the gospel of the kingdom to be proclaimed, and that many people, regardless of ethnicity, religion or background, be unveiled to see Christ as the Savior and the only way to God.

At the same time, the Lord is also working and operating within us as part of the inward preparation for the readiness of the corporate bride and the completion of this age. Therefore, let us also pray:

• That the faithful seekers of the Lord learn to “live together with Him” (1 Thes. 5:10), being one with Him by always turning to our spirit.
• That we continue to grow unto maturity in the divine life to become a full-grown man, arriving “at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).
• That we be transformed and built up with fellow believers and partakers of the divine life as the reality of the Body of Christ.

SCYP High School Conferences

The upcoming SoCal High School Conferences will be held at Oak Glen for the brothers from March 6 to 8 and for the sisters from March 13 to 15. The topic is “The Unique Way of Faith.”

Please pray:

• For the Lord to prepare the beings of the high schoolers, that their conscience would be pure and void of offense, their heart would be soft and open toward the Lord, and that each one would receive the Lord’s up-to-date, instant, and living speaking and appearing.
• For each attendee to be freed from all distractions within and without so that they would thoroughly enjoy the Lord in these conferences.
• For continued blending and companionship among the YP both during and after the conferences.

Germany-Austria-Switzerland Sisters Retreat

From Friday evening to Lord’s Day noon, March 6 to 8, sisters from the German-speaking churches in Europe will have a conference retreat at Gut Elim, the blending center in Germany. Registration was closed early because maximum capacity was reached. The burden of this retreat is to bring forth the functioning of each sister and to help them learn from one another.

Please pray for the Lord’s blessing on this time and His particular supply and speaking to each sister.

Italy – Shepherding Trips

Please continue to pray for the shepherding of the seeking ones who were contacted on the gospel trips during the Torch Relay and the Winter Olympics. Pray that new local churches will be raised up in Turin, Bologna, Prato, Naples, and other key cities, and that the churches in Rome, Milan, and Vicenza will be strengthened.

There is an application form at tinyurl.com/italyshep for saints to participate in follow-up shepherding trips starting in March and continuing throughout the year. We expect a good number of saints to join the international conference in Rome from May 9 to 10. We also anticipate that several saints will be migrating to Italy in the near future.

Saints who are burdened to give for the Lord’s move in Italy may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Italy Olympics.”

Southern Africa Blending Conference

This weekend, March 7 to 8, there will be a conference for the southern African countries in Brits, a town near Pretoria, just over an hour’s drive from Johannesburg. Participating countries include Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. May the Lord bless everyone who attends and prepare their hearts to receive His present speaking to the churches.

Please pray:

• That the Lord be exalted as the One on the throne.
• That the saints all gain a fresh appreciation of His wonderful person and His Body.
• That the Lord lead and guide all the practical coordination and services.
• That the enemy’s attacks against the saints be restricted.
• That all the saints and churches in this region be brought on in the processes of maturing in life and being blended for the reality of the Body of Christ.

Announcements

1. Morning Revival: Week 2 of The All-inclusive Christ as Revealed in Matthew.
2. Start of Daylight Savings Time: DST will start at 2:00 am this Lord’s Day, March 8. Remember to turn your manual clocks forward one hour before you sleep on Saturday night.
3. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The weekly ministry meeting continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm at the Ministry Conference Center and online at www.lsmwebcast.com. The general subject is “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul’s Epistles—1 and 2 Thessalonians.”
4. Bibles for America’s recent blogpost “Experiencing Jesus as Peace in a World Full of Affliction” is available to read and share at bfa.org/blog.
5. ICSC: Archived recordings of the International Chinese-speaking Conference on “Noah, Daniel, and Job—Patterns of Living an Overcoming Life on the Line of Life to Fulfill the Economy of God” are available for free without subscription until March 17 at www.lsmwebcast.com.
6. Memorial Day Conference: May 22 to 25 in Dallas, TX. For LA saints attending in person, please RSVP by May 1 at tinyurl.com/memdayla. More information is linked at that site.
7. GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration and 2026 target cities, visit gtca.us.
8. Ways to Give: Information may be found at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.