Prayer, Week of December 2
Receiving the Real Jubilee
"And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family." (Lev. 25:10)
"Make a joyful noise to Jehovah, all the earth. Serve Jehovah with rejoicing; come before His presence with joyful singing." (Psa. 100:1-2)
The year of jubilee is the age of Christ as grace dispensed into us for our enjoyment by His words of grace. The New Testament jubilee is an age of ecstasy for our salvation.
Jubilee means having no worry or anxiety, no concern or care, no lack or shortage, no sickness or calamity, and no problems whatsoever but, rather, having all benefits. Hence, all things are pleasant and satisfying to our heart, and we are free from anxiety, at ease, excited, and exultant.
We must receive the Lord Jesus as the real jubilee in us (cf. Luke 4:16-22). If we have him, we have God as our possession and can be delivered from the bondage of sin and Satan to have real freedom and rest. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 22, II.B-C)
Gospel in Ventura County
"Behold, now is the well-acceptable time; now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2b)
The Lord shakes the earth (as in the recent fires) and allows tragedies (as in the shooting that killed 13 people). These events bring people out of their comfortable living and open them to the gospel. The Lord's intention is to awaken us to respond to His urgent need for us to preach the gospel and build up the Body of Christ.
To answer this "wake-up call" from the Lord, the church in Thousand Oaks held an English-speaking gospel dinner and meeting on December 1 to proclaim the good news of the Jubilee to local residents in Ventura County. Around 20 gospel friends and 40 local saints attended. Most of our contacts were from Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) in Camarillo and Career Care Institute (CCI) in Oxnard. Brothers shared the message on this being "the acceptable year of Jehovah" (Isa. 61:2), followed by many testimonies from CSUCI students and local saints. The reality of the Body of Christ was expressed by the sweet coordination among the saints. Please pray for:
- The waking up of the local saints from their comfortable and routine way of life.
- The follow-up with gospel friends to gradually bring them into the Body of Christ.
- The preaching of gospel on a regular basis in Ventura County.
- The raising up of workers to labor on the CSUCI campus.
United Kingdom
"Brexit" refers to the United Kingdom's (UK) exit from the European Union (EU), which will be in March 2019. Last month, a withdrawal agreement was negotiated and approved by the EU. The UK parliament will vote December 11 on whether or not to accept the agreement.
"I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; on behalf of kings and all who are in high position" (1 Tim. 2:1-2a). Our primary concern is not with the details of the agreement; rather, our petition is that the vote and whatever follows it will be best for the continuation of the Lord's move in all of Europe.
Pray for the Lord's will to be done, that the ability of saints from Europe to travel to the UK for trainings and conferences would not be affected, and that the Lord's move would be unhindered.
Berlin, Germany
There is an urgent need for a new meeting hall for the church in Berlin. Recently a place was found that met all the requirements, but the government would not allow church use. Please pray for:
- The Lord to shine on the saints in Berlin to rise up and pray in one accord;
- The meeting hall to be of suitable quality, in the best location, and at an affordable price;
- The hall to be accessible by public transportation, and noise will not be a problem to neighbors;
- The new building to be approved by the government for church use.
Pakistan
The National Blending Conference was November 10 to 11 in Karachi. The subject was "The Goal of the Lord's Recovery—To Bring Forth the One New Man," re-speaking the last International Chinese-Speaking Conference. Brother Ken Mooney came to Pakistan to join us for the sixth time.
The conference was the most attended blending conference (around 190 saints) since the work began in Pakistan in 2012. The sharing of the saints with their exercised spirit was very powerful.
Forty-four saints from Islamabad attended. Most traveled by train—a 29-hour ride (one-way). Everyone enjoyed fellowshipping on the trip (back and forth). Praise the Lord!
After the blending conference, a sister from Islamabad and a brother from Karachi left for the Philippines to attend the Full-Time Training in Malabon.
India
Our annual National College Student Training will take place December 22 to 25. We will be covering the recent Crystallization-study of Leviticus. There is about one week before registration closes. Currently about 450 are registered, which includes some young working saints and young people. We are hoping to reach over 500. Please pray that the Lord could release many more college students to attend!
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 22 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 4.
- The Winter Training (December 24 to 29) will cover the book of Numbers. Those who would like to prepare themselves are encouraged to read the verses, footnotes, and Life-Study messages.
Prayer, Week of November 25
The Reality of the Body of Christ
"We who are many are one Body; for we all partake of the one bread." (1 Cor. 10:17)
"For even as the body is one and has many members...so also is the Christ. For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body...and were all given to drink one Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:12-13)
"To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." (Phil. 3:10)
"For to me, to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21)
The reality of the Body of Christ is the corporate living by the perfected God-men, who are genuine men but are not living by their life but by the life of the processed God, whose attributes have been expressed through their virtues. (Thanksgiving Conference, banner 2 and msg. 4, VI)
It is only by the inner experience of Christ as life that we can have the reality of the Body of Christ. (Thanksgiving Conference, msg. 5, I.C)
We need a positive response to this conference instead of passive agreement. By the Lord's mercy, may we all be brought into daily prayer, opening to and seeking experiences of life for the Body.
Gospel in Ventura County
The Lord shakes the earth (as in the recent fires, with the whole of Thousand Oaks evacuated and over 1000 homes burned down) and allows tragedies (13 killed in a shooting before the fires). The Lord's intention is awakening us to respond to His urgent needs to preach the gospel and to build up the Body. These events also bring people out of their comfortable living and (temporarily) open them to the gospel.
The church in Thousand Oaks has been and will be distributing gospel tracts and will have a gospel table on the Cal State Channel Islands campus this Wednesday. They will have gospel meetings Saturdays, December 1 (English speaking) and December 22 (Chinese speaking). Please pray that:
- the saints would be burdened to pray desperately, be blended in the Word thoroughly, and serve in 2's and 3's collectively;
- every member would exercise to contact colleagues, neighbors, and friends, testifying the resurrected Christ in them;
- they would realize the vanity of temporal things and turn to diligently pursue the reality of the Body;
- the three major college campuses (CSUCI, Pepperdine, California Lutheran University) and the communities in Ventura County would be open to the Word of God and the gospel, with the veils on peoples' hearts removed, that they may see the light shining forth from the truth;
- the gospel meetings will bring the sons of peace and seekers into the church life.
Bibles for America
BfA offers seven titles by Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as free downloadable e-books on our website, http://www.biblesforamerica.org. The number of book downloads from our site has steadily increased over the past six months, reaching over 124,000 by mid November.
Please pray for these books to make a difference in the life of every reader and help bring them to the full knowledge of the truth. Pray that they will share this rich ministry with others who want to know how to experience Christ and fulfill God's purpose.
North America College Training 2019
Many testified that the National College Training in 2015 impacted their choices and had a life-changing effect on the direction of their life. The upcoming North America (US + Canada + Mexico) College Training will be July 14 to 20, 2019 in Champaign, IL. A brief video is at http://tinyurl.com/NACT2019. College students and graduating high school seniors may register at collegetraining.org.
Please pray for:
- all the saints to pray for this and to help shepherd students into this training;
- the training to reach its maximum attendance of 2800 (1000 more than in 2015);
- the way to be opened for all students, especially graduating high school seniors, to attend;
- all students to plan ahead and save for this special event, which occurs only once every four years;
- the Lord's blessing on this training.
Leipzig, Germany
Three saints from Taiwan are serving in Leipzig from mid October until the end of December. They have been contacting students daily and have experienced the students being very open to speak with them and be friends with them. Please pray that in their further contact with the students they will find the ones that are open and seeking the Lord and that some will be gained as remaining fruit.
Announcements
- Morning revival: REPEAT week 21 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 4.
- Audio of the October 14 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/gospelspirit.
- The Winter Training will be December 24 to 29 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration including payment for the webcast ($105) is due December 2. Late registration requests for the live training ($255) should be made as soon as possible before that date. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's designated registration coordinator.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of November 18
Enjoying Christ for a Church Life in Resurrection
"Now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Cor. 15:20) "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we all are witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear." (Acts 2:32-33).
The Feast of Firstfruits signifies the resurrected Christ as the firstfruits for our enjoyment as a feast in His resurrection. The Feast of Pentecost came fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, indicating that the outpoured Spirit is the aggregate of the rich produce of the resurrected Christ. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 21, I., II.B.1)
Lord, keep us in resurrection enjoying You daily as our feast and participating daily in the outpoured Spirit!
The Thanksgiving Conference
The Thanksgiving Conference is in North Carolina Thursday night to Lord's Day noon.
"Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving, praying at the same time for us also, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ." (Col. 4:2-3)
Lord, release Your word through the speaking brothers, open a door in every heart for hearing this word, and open our mouths to release this word to others.
College Conference C
Conference C was richly blessed by the Lord as our living, releasing, pneumatic, life giving Word! The atmosphere was jubilant! Many students were freshly released by the Lord from self consciousness and were speaking Him forth with boldness. This is surely due to the prayer of the saints. The conference concluded with five baptisms of which one freshman brother and one freshman sister are from UCLA.
Please continue to pray that Christ the living Word of God would become the daily experience of every student across southern California.
Our Need and the Church's Need
In Luke 6:38 the Lord goes on to say, "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will give into your bosom; for with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you in return." Here the Lord is saying that when we give to others, our Father in heaven will always return to us much more than we give. (LS Luke, ch. 15, sec. 1)
May we apply this word in prayer, opening to the Lord about our giving to the church. The church in L.A. has financial needs and we need the Lord's mercy to give in a good measure.
Bibles for America
Bibles for America advertises free Bibles and books online using Google ads. Please pray for the Lord to be our wisdom as we implement new ad campaigns. Pray for many people who want to understand the Bible and grow in their Christian faith to see the ads and order a Recovery Version and ministry books.
Birmingham, UK
May the Lord build up prevailing testimonies in the major cities of the United Kingdom, starting with Birmingham, the second-largest city after London. Please pray for the Lord to strengthen His testimony in Birmingham through the clustering of the neighboring churches, as well as the visitation, migration, and blending of saints.
Germany
In October 2017 over 30,000 Recovery Version NTs were distributed in Germany. Thousands more have been distributed since then. German people will rarely take a NT if they have to give their contact information, so no information is requested during distributions. Please petition the Lord to rise up in more NT recipients to contact Bibles for Europe to request contact and Bible reading times.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is a country between western Asia and eastern Europe. The population of around 10 million is predominantly, but nominally, Muslim. It has some history and relics of early Christianity, but the Lord's recovery in the past century has no history here.
A couple from the U.S., serving in Germany, moved to Azerbaijan in September based on a subjective leading from the Lord that began at the Taipei blending conference in February and continued with prayer and fellowship with co-workers. They testify that the Lord had prepared everything for them to migrate there, including the opportunity to teach English at Western Caspian University.
Their request: please pray for our God-man living to reach the 35 students whom we spend 4 hours with every day. Please pray that the Lord will have a way to bring in the ministry material, so that the sons of peace here can be discovered, supplied, and equipped to hold forth the word of life. Suitable ministry material is Russian (60% of the people understand it) or Turkish (very close to Azerbaijani). Pray also that The Mystery of Human Life can be translated into Azerbaijani.
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 21 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 4.
- Audio of the October 14 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/gospelspirit.
- The Winter Training will be December 24 to 29 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration including payment for the webcast ($105) is due December 2. Late registration requests for the live training ($255) should be made as soon as possible before that date. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's designated registration coordinator.
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Video of the October 7 blending in Addis Ababa is at http://tinyurl.com/Oct7-Addis. This video is long: scan the whole or watch specific parts. Here are start times [hours:minutes] for each segment:
[0:00] Lord's Table (which began before the announced time)
[1:01] testimony of the Lord's leading to raise up the church in Addis Ababa
[1:31] key points from the October 4 to 6 ITERO in Addis Ababa
[2:12] a brief view of the Lord's recovery in 25 African nations
[2:52] an overview of the full-time trainings in South Africa and Ethiopia
[2:59] concluding word; [3:27] a call for prayer, visiting, and financial support; [3:34] end
Prayer, Week of November 11
Resting, Feasting, Purging to be a New Lump
"Purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened; for our Passover, Christ, also has been sacrificed. So then let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5:7-8)
The principle of the Sabbath is that we should cease our work because God has done everything for us and has become everything for our enjoyment. The Feast of the Passover is a sign of God's full redemption, and this full redemption is the bringing of God's chosen people into the full enjoyment of Himself. The entire Christian life should be such a feast. Keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread typifies the purging away of all sinful things through the enjoyment of Christ as the sinless life supply, to be a new lump—the church, composed of believers in their new nature. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 20, II.A, IV.D, II.A.2, V.B, V.B.3.b)
More Winter Training Registrations
To be trained is to have the rich supply of Christ ministered to us that we may grow, and it is to be equipped that we may be skillful in speaking, in contacting new ones, and in shepherding and in preaching and teaching. (Life-Study of Ephesians, ch. 41)
In Los Angeles, we will hold simulcasts December 24 to 29; and a delayed video in Spanish. Registration is due December 2, including payment of $105. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's registration coordinator.
Ask the Lord to release more saints from the affairs of human life and to save us out of any routine church life to have Christ richly ministered to us. Ask the Lord to stir our hearts to pursue Him actively: "For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).
College Conference C
Last weekend was truly blessed with the Lord's presence and His rich speaking! Though we were short of serving ones, the Lord supplied to meet the need and shepherd each of the students.
We received an uplifted view of what it means to have the Lord's speaking and how we can have it all the time. His speaking shouldn't be rare. God's speaking has been consolidated in the Word.
During cabin time, we made a resolution to read the Scriptures daily in a consistent way. Please pray for all the students to be reminded to read at their set time and develop a long-lasting habit so that they all grow and develop their spiritual vocabulary to fellowship with the Lord. The conference concluded with five baptisms.
For conference C, the coming weekend, please pray that:
- Everyone that signed up will be released to the conference with no cancelations.
- The Lord would sanctify everyone with His word and prepare us more to be His Bride.
- Everyone going would have a fresh touch with the Lord and experience Christ in a fresh way.
Thousand Oaks
The Lord is shaking the Ventura County residents out of peaceful suburban living. Even many of us are seeking a comfortable, good family life. God's economy has became a secondary thing.
The series of tragedies should be a wake-up call to us that "we should not regard the things which are seen but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18). God should also use these tragedies to soften people's heart to receive His gospel.
Though outward circumstances are negative, God wants to move on in the church in Thousand Oaks and all of Ventura County. Please pray for us:
- The saints will be emptied and allow the Lord to take over their life by thorough consecration.
- We will be strengthened to spread His testimony throughout Ventura County.
- The students on college campuses will be open to the Bible and the serving saints.
- The saints will all become vital groups of 2s and 3s to pray, read the Word, and preach the gospel.
This window of opportunity will not last long. May the churches stand as one to cooperate with our energizing God to move on and gain people now!
As of Lord's Day morning, all TO saints and their homes were in good condition.
Brexit
"I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; On behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God." (1 Tim. 2:1-3)
Please pray for the Lord's will to be done in the ongoing negotiations. May the church-life in the UK, and the ability of European saints to go there for trainings and conferences, be unaffected.
Kraków, Poland
During the International Book Fair in Kraków in late October, we sold 10 ministry books and gave out 691 Polish NT Recovery Versions, plus several English and Russian versions. The number of Bibles distributed per hour was fewer than when we distribute on the street; however, we received significantly more email subscriptions. Those who subscribed will receive 5 emails from Bibles for Europe to help them read and appreciate the Bible. They may also request a local Bible study.
Please continue to pray for literature recipients, especially those who subscribed to the emails, that they will be encouraged to read the Bible and be open and ask for further contact, and that eventually they will have a way into the church life.
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 20 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 4.
- Thanksgiving Conference: All the available rooms in the hotel where the Thanksgiving Conference will take place in Charlotte have been booked. LSM has arranged a discounted rate at additional nearby hotels. Saints from LA who plan to attend but have not yet made their hotel reservations may request more information by filling out the form at http://tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- Audio of the October 14 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/gospelspirit.
-
Video of the October 7 blending in Addis Ababa is at http://tinyurl.com/Oct7-Addis. This video is long: scan the whole or watch specific parts. Here are start times [hours:minutes] for each segment:
[0:00] Lord's Table
[1:01] testimony of the Lord's leading to raise up the church in Addis Ababa
[1:31] key points from the October 4 to 6 ITERO in Addis Ababa
[2:12] a brief view of the Lord's recovery in 25 African nations
[2:52] an overview of the full-time trainings in South Africa and Ethiopia
[2:59] concluding word; [3:27] a call for prayer, visiting, and financial support; [3:34] end - Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of November 4
Chosen to Be Holy with a Holy Living to Express the Holy God
"And you shall be holy to Me, because I Jehovah am holy, and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine." (Lev. 20:26)
"Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love." (Eph. 1:4)
"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 Pet. 2:9)
To be holy is first to be separated to God; second, to be taken over by God; third, to be possessed by God; and fourth, to be saturated with God and one with God. Being holy because God is holy signifies walking according to God's holiness, living a holy life.
We need to live a holy life, a life that befits our priesthood. We can be such persons only by contacting the perfect Christ, enjoying Him and experiencing Him day by day. He will make us complete, perfect, and properly balanced. Then we shall have all the qualifications required for us to serve as priests in the New Testament age. (Crystallization-study of Leviticus, msg. 19, I.C, II.F, III)
College Conference B
The past weekend's Conference A at Oak Glen was very much blessed by the Lord with the living Word strongly impacting all who attended, including our students from USC. Thanks to the prayers of the church, some who were thinking of cancelling at the last minute still ended up attending and truly experienced the Lord's light. The joy of experiencing Christ as the living Word of God was fresh! Please pray that the students would continue steadfastly in this enjoyment this week.
Conference B will take place this upcoming weekend, November 9 to 11. CSUN has a large number of students attending for the first time. Please pray:
- That the Lord would reveal to each one what is on His heart so that they can experience Him as the fresh and living Word.
- For the Lord to prepare the hearts of all of the students attending.
- That every student would be open to the Lord and experience Him as the living Word who meets their need in every situation, and that the result of this experience would be a spontaneous outflow to friends, classmates, and companions.
- That cabin times would be conducive for mutual fellowship and for shepherding of the first-timers.
Oak Glen
The churches in Southern California took possession of Oak Glen Christian Conference Center at the end of 2015. Since then, the facility has been enjoyed by many saints and churches, including many halls and language groups in Los Angeles.
We thank the Lord that the Engedi facility in Big Bear was sold in the summer. Although funds from this sale were originally earmarked for various improvement projects at Oak Glen, the decision was made to first pay down the Oak Glen purchase loan to avoid further interest fees. As of now, the churches in Southern California still need approximately $770,000 by the end of December 2018. If we reach this year-end goal, we will be able to pay off the purchase loan entirely.
May the Lord's grace continue to operate in the churches and saints in Southern California, that we may even abound in grace for giving (2 Cor. 8-9). Gifts may be made online at socalblendingcenter.org or to the church designated for Oak Glen.
United States Elections
Elections are on Tuesday, November 6 for the US Senate and the US House of Representatives. There are also many state and local elections and issues voted on.
As God's people, we are instructed to "be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13). At the same time, we "know that the heavens do rule" (Daniel 4:26). Lord, we praise You as "the Ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5)! We agree with Your sovereignty and pray for the heading up of "all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth" (Eph. 1:10)!
Germany
After last year's Emigration Training in Anaheim from mid-July to early August, many saints migrated to Germany for the Lord's move. Within a short time, many obtained one-year visas, mainly for language study. Those visas expire soon. Please pray for the Lord to reveal the best way for each saint to stay longer, anoint every applications, and grant visas for the their long-term service.
Tirana, Albania
The Balkan Regional Conference from November 2 to 4 was marvelous! Over 15 saints from the LA area traveled to Tirana, Albania for this special time of blending with saints from at least 12 different countries. The subject was "Man in God's Eternal Plan." One of the burdens was that this conference would help to lay a solid foundation of the truth not in the way of doctrine, but in the way of experience.
Please pray for the Spirit of reality to guide all the ones who attended into all the reality (John 16:13). Pray for the spread and strengthening of the Lord's testimony in Albania and the entire region!
Vietnam
Please pray for the Lord to cover all details related to the proofreading of the Recovery Version in Vietnamese, which is currently taking place until December 1.
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 19 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 4.
- Audio of the October 14 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/gospelspirit.
- The Winter Training will be December 24 to 29 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration, including payment, for the webcast ($105) is due December 2. Late registration requests for the live training ($255) should be made as soon as possible before that date. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's designated registration coordinator.
Prayer, Week of October 28
Coming Forward to Christ As the Propitiation Place
"And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only but also for those of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
"Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God set forth as a propitiation place through faith in His blood" (Rom. 3:24-25a)
"Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help." (Heb. 4:16)
In His ascension Christ is the propitiation place, the propitiation cover, for God to meet with us. In Hebrews 4:16 this place is called the throne of grace. The throne of grace is the cover of the Ark on which Christ sprinkled the blood He shed on the cross for our redemption. Because of the sprinkling of His redeeming blood, the cover of the Ark has become a propitiation cover, a place where God may contact us and where we may enjoy His grace in full. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3028-3029)
Mercy now is flowing, oh, the grace—
That I find of Him to run the race!
Boldly now I come again to taste
My glorious Lord. (Hymns, #1208 chorus)
College Conference A
This weekend, November 2 to 4, is the first of three Southern California college conferences this month. Saints from the USC area are attending this first conference. Saints from the CSUN area will attend the second conference, November 9 to 11, and saints from UCLA will attend the third conference, November 16 to 18. The general subject is "Christ the Living Word of God."
Please join us to fight in prayer:
- For a total of at least 90 students from LA to overcome academic, work, financial, and personal challenges to attend these conferences!
- For each one personally to have a vision of Christ as the Word that would impact their daily living.
- For each one to be refreshed by releasing their spirit and touching the Lord, especially in the singing.
- That the atmosphere would be full of shepherding and all of the needs would be met for all of the practical services.
Bibles for America
Beginning November 1, an ad offering free copies of the NT Recovery Version from BfA will run five evenings per week on Spanish radio stations throughout California and in other areas of the country. The ad will air during the Spanish broadcast of Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee.
Please pray that many Spanish-speaking radio listeners would hear the ad and order a free study Bible. Pray for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant those who read the Recovery Version a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him.
United States Elections
Elections will be held Tuesday, November 6. All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the US Senate will be decided. There will also be a multitude of state and local elections and issues voted on.
As God's people, we "know that the heavens do rule" (Daniel 4:26). Lord, You are "the Ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5). We agree with Your sovereignty and pray for the heading up of "all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth" (Eph. 1:10). Have Your way in these elections for Your move in this country and over the whole earth!
Balkan Regional Conference
In November 2012, after five years of church life in LA, David and Elda Chang, along with their two daughters, migrated to Tirana, Albania for the Lord's move. With a population of just under 3 million people, this small country is located in the Balkan Peninsula, across the Adriatic Sea from Italy; to its east is Macedonia and to its southeast is Greece. Over the years, many saints from LA have had the blessing of visiting the Chang family there.
The Balkan Regional Conference will take place in Tirana, Albania this weekend from November 2 to 4. There are over 15 saints from the LA area who will be traveling to blend during this special conference. Pray for the spread and strengthening of the Lord's testimony in this region. May the Lord bless this gathering for His further move in the Balkans, Europe, and the whole earth!
Kraków, Poland
From October 25 to 28 there was an international book fair in Kraków, which had over 70,000 visitors last year. Bibles for Europe and Fundacja Strumien Zycia rented a small booth as a shared space for the four days. It is in the religious publishers section (all the neighboring booths are Catholic).
Please pray for the follow-up with all contacts, for the enemy to be bound, and for the chosen vessels to be released for the propagation of the resurrected, ascended, and all-inclusive Christ as the development of the Kingdom of God in Poland.
UK University Conference
There will be a conference for university students in Oswestry, UK from November 2 to 4. Young working saints and unbelieving friends are also welcome to attend. May the Lord gain an attendance of unbelievers at this conference such as there has not been before and save them!
Utrecht, Netherlands
In recent years there has been a particular burden to help and encourage saints in their 20s, 30s and 40s to participate more in the building of the Body of Christ—even in the midst of caring for their work and raising their children. On November 3, there will be a one-day fellowship in Utrecht for this group of saints from Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as Düsseldorf, Germany, to blend with one another and fellowship concerning these matters and the future of the Lord's recovery.
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 18 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 3.
- Audio of the October 14 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/gospelspirit.
- The Winter Training will be December 24 to 29 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration including payment for the webcast ($105) is due December 2. Late registration requests for the live training ($255) should be made as soon as possible before that date. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's designated registration coordinator.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 22 to 25. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 31. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of October 21
Enjoying the Cleansing of the All-inclusive Christ
"Then the priest shall command that two living clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet strands and hyssop be taken for the one who is to be cleansed. And the priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered in an earthen vessel over running water." (Lev. 14:4-5)
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
From the types we see that to cleanse us of our leprosy the Lord had to be incarnated, to become a human being. As typified by the cedar wood, His humanity was high and honorable. As typified by the hyssop, He was willing to be lowly in becoming in the likeness of men. On the one hand, His standard was high; on the other hand, His status was very low. Both were for the producing of the scarlet thread. Furthermore, the two birds typify Christ in two other aspects, with the slain bird signifying Christ in His crucifixion and the live bird signifying Christ in His resurrection. Without Christ in all these aspects, we could not be cleansed of our leprosy, of our sin. (Life-study of Leviticus, p. 375)
The leper being brought to the priest [in Leviticus 14] signifies an unclean person being brought to the Lord. In preaching the gospel we are actually bringing unclean persons, sinners, to the Lord. (p. 365)
Propagating the Resurrected, Ascended and All-inclusive Christ
The subject from the recent Fall ITERO in Addis Ababa was "Propagating the Resurrected, Ascended, and All-inclusive Christ as the Development of the Kingdom of God." This Saturday, October 27 there will be an all-day meeting for Southern California elders and responsible brothers. The primary purpose of this gathering is to review the nine messages from ITERO.
Please ask the Lord to release many brothers to attend and to bless the fellowship for the building up of the churches in Southern California. Please pray that the messages would operate in all the churches so that the living person of Christ would be reproduced all over the earth.
High School Conferences
The Fall 2018 High School Conferences will be this weekend, October 26 to 28. The brothers' conference will take place in Huntington Beach and the sisters' conference in Irvine. Please pray for the Lord to freshly appear to each young person as the jubilee. Pray for them to return to God as their possession and be freed from the bondage of slavery!
LA Chinese-Speaking Blending Retreat
This coming weekend, from October 26 to 28, Chinese-speaking saints from LA will hold their biannual retreat at Oak Glen. Saints from Thousand Oaks and some other SoCal churches will also join. Around 140 people have registered, including children. Please pray:
- For a good time of blending among all the saints.
- For all to see the vision of their priestly service and consecrate themselves to serve the living God.
- For the fire from the altar of burnt offering to be kept burning within each saint to carry out their priestly service.
Bibles for America
This fall, thousands of Bibles, books, and gospel tracts are being distributed on college campuses throughout the United States. Please pray:
- That every student who receives a free copy of the NT Recovery Version would open it and find joy, strength, and peace in God's Word.
- That many would request fellowship and be put in contact with others on their campus who are also enjoying this rich ministry.
- That those who are not saved would read the tracts and receive the Lord Jesus.
Los Angeles and Germany
Raizel Macaranas, who formerly met in Halls 4 and 5 before serving in the FTTA, began a one-year graduate program at a small private university in Munich along with intensive language courses. In addition to meeting international students in her classes, she is burdened to connect with at least one open, seeking, local young person through Bible distributions. Please pray that this connection would be made and there would be the way for the practical shepherding, as well as the supply for all her coursework.
Sam Cummings, from Hall 5, has moved to Munich after graduating from the FTTA. Although excited to begin classes in his graduate program, he is looking to the Lord for at least one companion in his studies as well as in the church life. Please pray for him to be built up more with the saints for the sake of the Lord's testimony and for the shepherding of all the new contacts in Munich.
As we cover and stand with these saints in prayer, let us ask the Lord to release more blending of LA and Germany, more appreciation here for the Lord's move in Europe, and more LA saints to visit Europe!
One-Week Trainings in Europe
In November, a series of one-week trainings will take place at Bower House in London. The weeks beginning November 5, 12 and 19 still have spaces; the registration deadline has been extended. Please pray for the filling of these spaces. Also pray for all these ones from Europe who have given themselves to be trained to grow in life in practical ways and develop all the necessary skills to be useful in the Lord's hands for the care of many seeking ones and the building of His Body.
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 17 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 3.
- Audio of the October 14 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/gospelspirit.
- The Winter Training will be December 24 to 29 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. For the live training, complete registration including payment ($205) is due October 28. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is due December 2. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's designated registration coordinator.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 22 to 25. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 31. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of October 14
The Spirit of the Gospel and the Shepherding Way of Visiting
"And He said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all the creation." (Mark 16:15)
"And Jesus said to him [Zaccheus], Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost." (Luke 19:9-10)
The spirit of the gospel is burning within every believer who loves the Lord. This inward burning should be reflected in our outward attitude toward the gospel. We have the spirit of the gospel within, but we need to allow the spirit of the gospel to burn us from within. The spirit of the gospel is a fire that has been kindled, but we need to respond. (Christ Being the Burden of the Gospel, ch. 15)
Where is the increase among us? The proper increase is due to the gospel shepherding, and shepherding means that we have to go and visit people. Christ visited the sinners by coming down from heaven to earth to find the lost sheep, one by one. We have to learn of Him. (The Vital Groups, ch. 7)
May we, as the church in Los Angeles, freshly love the Lord and consecrate ourselves to Him. May we allow the spirit of the gospel to burn us from within to respond to our commission to preach the gospel. And may we learn of Christ to take the shepherding way of visiting saints and sinners to bring salvation to their house!
LA Korean Festival Follow-Up
During the four-day LA Korean Festival from October 4 to 7, we distributed a total of 384 copies of the NT Recovery Version (322 in Korean and 62 in English). Most of the recipients listened intently to what we shared, and some were even saved. Hallelujah!
A Bible seminar will be held on Saturday, October 20. We plan to convey the value of the Recovery Version by considering the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew. Please pray that the Bible recipients and others around us will respond to the invitation to enjoy this ministry with us, and that all the saints would be in one accord with the spirit of gospel.
Winter Training Registration
The Winter Training (December 24 to 29) is a time for all the saints to receive the Lord's fresh speaking. Ask the Lord to release more saints in Los Angeles to participate in this training in Anaheim or in the local webcasts. We believe "that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). At the same time, we know that "it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). Ask the Lord to stir our hearts to pursue Him actively.
Registration for the live training is due October 28. See Announcements below for more details.
Junior High Conferences
The Fall 2018 Junior High Conferences will be this weekend, October 19 to 21. The brothers' conference will take place in Diamond Bar; sisters' conference in Fullerton. Please pray for the Lord to freshly appear to each young person.
Munich, Germany
"For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come." (S.S. 2:11-12a)
The first Lord's table in Munich took place on October 14. Over 400 saints participated in the meeting, representing 42 cities and 14 countries. The table meeting was truly a testimony of Jehovah's commanded blessing on saints who dwell in unity. Brother James Lee shared that God's goal is the church as His expression (Eph. 3:10); this is accomplished by our enjoying Christ.
Lord, make the church in Munich a house of feasting for Your glorious expression! Lord, make the church in Munich like that in Philadelphia—keeping Your word, not denying Your name, and having an opened door which no one can shut (Rev. 3:8)!
European Brothers' Training and Blending Conference
The European Brothers' Training is October 16 to 18 in Baarlo, The Netherlands. Meetings will include videos from the recent ITERO in Addis Ababa, study sessions, and fellowship about the Lord's move in Europe. Through such times of perfecting, may the Lord train the brothers to be able ministers of the New Testament, effective building material for the universal building up of the Body of Christ, and good stewards and faithful serving ones in their respective local churches.
After the training, an International Blending Conference will take place from October 19 to 21. Pray for a rich feast and the Lord's blessing in the fellowship and blending among all the saints.
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 16 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 3.
- The Winter Training will be December 24 to 29 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. For the live training, complete registration including payment ($205) is due October 28. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is due December 2. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's designated registration coordinator.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 22 to 25. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 31. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of October 7
Enjoying the Wonderful, All-inclusive Christ
"God… has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son, whom He appointed Heir of all things, through whom also He made the universe; who, being the effulgence of His glory and the impress of His substance and upholding and bearing all things by the word of His power, having made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:1-3)
The central thought of Leviticus is that the universal, all-inclusive, inexhaustible Christ is everything to God and to God's people. As an exposition of Leviticus, the Epistle to the Hebrews reveals the marvelous, mysterious, and all-inclusive person of Christ.
The wonderful, all-inclusive Christ typified in Leviticus and revealed in Hebrews is our eternal portion (Heb. 13:8). All the aspects of Christ revealed in Hebrews are inexhaustible. This wonderful, all-inclusive Christ is our eternal portion for us to enjoy. (Crystallization-study of Leviticus, msg. 15, III.P.)
Lord, bring us on in our vision, experience, and enjoyment of Your all-inclusive person!
Joint LA Meeting
The whole church in LA—with all of our halls, districts, and languages—will meet together this Lord's Day, October 14, 9:30 am to 12 noon at LA Trade Tech College. For the sake of the testimony of Jesus in this city, let us encourage and help one another to attend. Lord, blend us all together and grant each one a little more perfecting for the ministry to build up Your Body!
ITERO Follow-up
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones concluded this past weekend in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with a blending meeting on the Lord's Day. Around 1,200 brothers from all over the world gathered for this training. The general subject was "Propagating the Resurrected, Ascended, and All-inclusive Christ as the Development of the Kingdom of God." Many saints are now participating in blending trips not only in Ethiopia but in other African countries as well. Please pray for the digestion of the messages and for all the saints traveling and blending.
Fall Junior High and High School Conferences
The Junior High Conferences will be held from October 19 to 21. The registration deadline was October 7. The High School Conferences will be held from October 26 to 28. The registration deadline is October 14. Please ask the Lord to release as many young people as possible to attend these gatherings so that they may be infused with faith, refreshed in their love for the Lord, guarded against this evil age, and strengthened with the joy of the Lord to overcome any adversity or hindrance in their Christian lives.
Los Angeles and Germany
Craig and Henna Hall, from LA Hall 2, have been in Germany for the past 14 months. Craig finished his language classes and is now serving full-time in Düsseldorf. Please pray for the continued supply of grace as the new semester begins, and for the Lord to bring some seekers who can enter into the church life. On a practical note, please ask the Lord to release a long-term visa by early November.
Don Martin is now on his third extended trip to Germany this year. This time, he will be based in Frankfurt to participate in church meetings, group gatherings, and Bible distributions; fellowship with younger serving ones and encourage the local saints; and visit new contacts and shepherd new believers. This Lord's Day, he will visit Munich for the first Lord's table, and later this month participate in the brothers' training and blending conference in the Netherlands.
As we cover and stand with these saints in prayer, let us ask the Lord to release more blending of LA and Germany, more appreciation here for the Lord's move in Europe, and more LA saints to visit Europe!
Munich, Germany
The first Lord's table in Munich, Germany, will take place on October 14. As the "Boston" of Europe, the city is home to 24 universities with nearly 300,000 students. In addition to some solid families that have moved here and found jobs, some students from the US and Asia are currently studying here. Please pray for a shining golden lampstand in Munich. May the Lord shame His enemy in this city!
Announcements
-
Morning revival: Week 15 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 3.
After the joint LA meeting, please continue to week 16. - Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: There will be no ministry meeting on October 10. The ministry meeting will resume on Wednesday, October 17.
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in LA will meet together on Lord's Day, October 14, 9:30 am to noon at LA Trade Tech College.
- The Winter Training will be December 24 to 29 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. For the live training, complete registration including payment ($205) is due October 28. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is due December 2. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment either online or to their district's designated registration coordinator.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 22 to 25. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 31. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of September 30
God's Fire Energizes Us to Serve Him
"The Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thornbush. And when he looked, there was the thornbush, burning with fire; but the thornbush was not consumed." (Exo. 3:2)
"Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out." (Lev. 6:13)
"I have come to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish that it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49)
"Do not be slothful in zeal, but be burning in spirit, serving the Lord." (Rom. 12:11)
Our service must come out of the burning of God's fire. This fire should be the energy, the driving force, the impulse, within us; if we have this fire, our service will be out of God, not out of ourselves. This fire burns on those who love God, who offer themselves to God, who are willing to forsake everything for God, and who are willing to place themselves in His hands in order to be broken.
(Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 14, II.B, II.C.1,3)
International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones (ITERO) will take place from October 4 to 6 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. There will be a Lord's Table and blending meeting for everyone Lord's Day, October 7 in Addis Ababa. Many saints will participate in blending trips before and after. Please pray for all the brothers traveling, for the Lord's rich and up-to-date speaking, for the blending of all the saints, and for this time to bring forth a strong advance among all the churches in Africa.
L.A. Joint Meeting
The whole church in L.A. will meet together on Lord's Day, October 14, 9:30 am to noon at L.A. Trade Tech College. For the sake of the Lord's testimony in this city, let us encourage and help one another to attend. Lord, blend us all together and grant each one a little more perfecting for the ministry to build up Your Body.
BfA Bible Distribution at L.A. Korean Festival
Korean- and Spanish-speaking saints in L.A. will volunteer at a BfA booth October 4 to 7 during annual L.A. Korean Festival. It attracts more than 350,000 visitors as the largest Korean-American cultural event in North America. More than 3,000 Korean, English, and Spanish Recovery Version New Testaments with ministry literature have been distributed since 2012. Please pray for:
- This gospel service to be a continuous overflow of rich enjoyment of the Lord by all volunteers in coordination.
- The Lord to grant a clear sky during this time, to prepare genuine seeking ones to be in contact with us, and to encourage us all by positive feedback from the previous recipients.
- The follow up Recovery Version Bible Seminar on October 20 to be a useful gateway for further contact and fellowship with seeking Bible recipients and our other gospel friends.
Bibles for America
Please pray for the Lord to revive His work in the United States, and particularly to spread in the middle of this country. Pray that He would add many more to the churches and usher in years of revival. May the gospel of the jubilee be announced throughout this region, especially through the giving away of Bibles and ministry books. Please pray that these Bibles and books would reach the hungry ones who are seeking God and longing to know the truth.
Germany
In September there was a meeting of responsible brothers in Germany. With so many fresh places and new situations in Germany, there is a tremendous opportunity to build up churches according to the God-ordained way and vital groups. Please pray that this burden will have a sufficient penetration in the responsible brothers that they can become a pattern for all the saints to afford the Lord a way to work out the God-ordained way and the vital groups to His satisfaction.
In most universities, October is the time to contact new students. Ask the Lord to bring many open students to contact the saints on campus and then to be brought into homes.
Brazil
Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America, and the fifth most populous in the world. The Lord's recovery is present many places. Elections will be held October 7 (first round) and 28 (runoff) to elect the President, Vice President, the National Congress, and state governors and legislators.
Ephesians 1:22: God "subjected all things under [Christ's] feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church." Lord, we are one with You to head up this election for Your advance and spread in all of South America.
Announcements
- Morning revival: week 14 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 3.
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in LA will meet together on Lord's Day, October 14, 9:30 am to noon at LA Trade Tech College.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 22 to 25. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 31. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
- This year's Iberian Peninsula Conference will be held in Málaga, Spain from December 14 to 16. All saints are invited. Register by October 1 at http://www.amanatrust.org.uk/calendar/iberian-peninsula.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.