Week of June 22

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Fighting the Spiritual Warfare in the Body by Prayer

“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil.” (Eph. 6:10)

“And receive…the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.” (Eph. 6:17-18)

The whole armor of God is for the entire Body of Christ as the corporate warrior, not for any individual member of the Body. We must fight the spiritual warfare in the Body, not as individuals.

Among the six items of God's armor, the sword of the Spirit is the only one for attacking the enemy; with the sword we cut the enemy to pieces. Christ as the Spirit and the word furnishes us with a sword as an offensive weapon to defeat and slay the enemy. When the logos (the constant word in the Bible) becomes the rhema (the present, instant, living speaking of the Spirit) to us, this rhema is the sword that cuts the enemy to pieces.

Prayer may be considered the seventh item of the armor of God, because it is the means by which we apply the other items. Prayer is the unique way to apply Christ as the armor of God. It is prayer that makes the armor available to us in a practical way. (Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (2), msg. 12, II.A, H.1-3, I.1-2)

June 2025 Semiannual Training

The Semiannual Training will be held next week, June 30 to July 5, at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim and by webcast in Los Angeles and around the world. The general subject is “Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (3).”

Please pray for the Lord to bless all the preparations for the upcoming training and cover the travel of all the saints. Pray for the Lord to strengthen and protect all the speaking brothers in their tripartite being as they seek Him and labor diligently in cutting straight the word of the truth. Pray for the release and receiving of the Lord's up-to-date burden, that the Spirit will operate through the speaking to build up the Body and prepare the bride for His return.

FTTA Graduations

This Saturday morning, June 28, is the graduation meeting for the 2025 Spring Class of the Full-time Training in Anaheim. There are 86 graduating trainees. The meeting starts at 9:30 am at the Ministry Conference Center and includes a recognition of the Boston Extension (FTTA-XB) trainees; it can also be seen online at www.ftta.org/graduation.php. In the afternoon, the Middle-age Training (FTTA-MA) graduation starts at 2:00 pm at 1853 W Ball Rd.

Please pray for the graduates of the FTTA, FTTA-XB and the FTTA-MA trainings, that they will continue to pursue Christ, gain Him, live Him, and minister Him for the building up of the Body. Pray for the Lord to be magnified and glorified through the corporate presentations and that all who attend in person or watch online would be drawn afresh to love our dear Lord Jesus and run after Him.

LA Truth School and Children's Bible Camp

Thank you, saints, for your prayers. Over the past two days, the atmosphere at our LA Truth School and Children's Bible Camp was one of mutual shepherding and care. We started on Lord's Day evening with an enjoyable time of singing and concluded with a bonfire. Monday afternoon we had another blending opportunity in various activities with teams comprised of attendees from both camps.

Many saints have testified how wonderful it is for families with children of all ages to be together, to eat together, and to lodge together. Please pray:

• For the Lord to bless all of the children, young people, and families as they return home to Los Angeles.
• That our children would remember their Creator all the days of their lives and know that they were “awesomely and wonderfully made” (Psa. 139:14).
• That our young people would continue to enjoy the church life and be factors of life for the building up of the church.

France – Nanterre

Nanterre is a suburb to the west of Paris. The city of Nanterre includes Paris Nanterre University, one of the largest and most prestigious universities in France. The saints who live in this area currently meet as a district of the church in Paris, but there is a burden and desire to raise up a lampstand in Nanterre.

There is currently a meeting on Monday nights for students and young adults, which alternates between two homes. Around 20 saints attend for dinner and fellowship, including seven newer ones who were contacted during the gospel trips last year. In the beginning, the newer ones would merely listen, but now they are all actively participating by asking and answering questions and sharing their experiences.

Last Monday night a newer one just discovered for himself the high peak of the divine revelation: that God wants to make man the same as He is in life and nature but not in the Godhead. This was a great discovery to him, and everyone in the meeting was so happy that he touched the mark of God's economy!

Please pray:

• That the Lord will establish a golden, shining lampstand in Nanterre.
• That He will release a meeting hall in Nanterre at the appointed time.
• That He will shepherd and perfect all the saints, including the new ones gained from gospel trips, for the organic building up of His Body.

Middle East

Please continue to pray that the situation in the region will be under the ruling of God's throne so that He will work out the counsel of His will. Pray for the white horse of the gospel to run and for many people to seek and find Christ as the reality and as their refuge. Pray for the saints' safety and peace and for them to be strengthened into their inner man to live a life that expresses God and cooperates with Him.

The Highest Work and the Highest Expression

Praise is the highest work carried out by God's children. We can say that the highest expression of a saint's spiritual life is his praise to God. God's throne is the highest point in the universe, yet He sits “enthroned upon the praises of Israel” (Psa. 22:3). God's name and even God Himself are exalted through praise. (CWWN, vol. 48, “Messages for Building Up New Believers (1),” lesson 16, p. 247)

Announcements

1. Morning Revival: Week 24 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (2), vol. 4. Next week, repeat Week 24 or enjoy content from the Semiannual Training. After the training, starting July 7, we will get into Chapters 5 through 8 of Romans—the Kernel of the Bible (from the ICSC).
2. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The series on “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul's Epistles—Ephesians” concludes this week starting at 7:25 pm in Anaheim and at lsmwebcast.com.
3. FTTA Graduation: Saturday, June 28 starting 9:30 am at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim; also be broadcast online at www.ftta.org/graduation.php. All the saints are invited.
4. North America Chinese-speaking Perfecting Training: July 23 to 27 at Camp Penuel in New York and from July 30 to August 3 in the Cerritos meeting hall. Additional details and registration are available at na-csw.org/announcement/2025-nacsspt.
5. Bibles for America's recent blogpost “The Immense Significance of the Human Spirit” is available to read and share at bfa.org/blog. Helpful videos are also available at bfa.org/videos.
6. The LA Years: This oral history project at www.layears.org documents the early years of the church life in Los Angeles from 1958–1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand testimonies.
7. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.