The Living of the Jubilee
“If therefore the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him.” (Rom. 10:12)
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4)
The living of the jubilee is a living in the enjoyment of Christ, a living of enjoying God as our inheritance and real freedom. The only way to be released from the three kinds of labor in human life—the labor to be a good person, the labor of anxiety, and the labor of suffering—is to take Christ as our enjoyment, satisfaction, and rest. The Christian life should be a life full of enjoying the Lord, a life full of joy and praises. When we enjoy the Lord fully, He becomes our jubilee.
Paul learned the secret of living in the jubilee, the secret of gaining Christ in any kind of environment [Phil. 4:11-12]. Because everything is under His sovereignty, we should pray, “Lord, fill me, gain me, and possess me; no matter what my outward situation is, I just want to enjoy You.” (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 23, IV.B,C,E,F)
The Early Days in Los Angeles
Brother Jim Reetzke fell asleep in Christ last Friday. He and his wife Bette, who remains in the church in Chicago, were among the small group which came out of Westmoreland Chapel to begin praying for and later meeting as the church in Los Angeles. He was one of a few who prayed with Brother Lee five or six mornings a week in the month prior to the All-inclusive Christ conference, which was at the end of 1962. The first summer training (six weeks long!) in North America, in 1963, was held in his home in Altadena. There were about 30 to 35 full-time in this training, many of whom received hospitality in the Reetzke’s home; about 70 attended evening meetings.
Jim and Bette were active in the church in Los Angeles until summer 1970 when they were among about 50 saints who migrated to Chicago for the start of the church life there.
FTTA-MA Graduation
The graduation of the Middle-Age FTTA will be this Saturday, December 15 at 10 am in Anaheim. Pray that each of the 20 graduates will be headed up by the Head for their future church life and service.
Pray also that the Lord will bring 45 new trainees to the spring term, which starts in March. Pray especially that this number include many born in North America and at least seven Spanish-speakers (this term, for the first time in 17 years, there was no Spanish-speaking section in the training).
Southern California Chinese-Speaking Gospel Meeting
Saturday, December 15 there will be a Southern California Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting in Arcadia. Pray for the fulfillment of Acts 26:18: “To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”
Manchester, New Hampshire
The first Lord’s Table of the church in Manchester will be December 16. The metropolitan area has a population a little above 150,000 and multiple colleges with a combined enrollment over 10,000.
France
Nationwide anti-government protests have flared over the past month. Many people, protestors or not, are dissatisfied with their current life. Lord, exercise Your authority over France and turn many from this “philosophy and empty deceit” to the gospel that they may be “made full in Him, who is the Head of all rule and authority” (Col. 2:8, 10).
Sweden
The church in Stockholm would like the Body to stand with us in prayer for a new meeting hall. We need to move out of our present meeting hall at the end of January 2019. Please pray that the Lord will lead the brothers and bring them into one accord regarding this matter.
Germany
Our publication team is translating more ministry books. We pray that the Lord would enable us to release new publications regularly to be a continual supply to churches and ministry book readers. We hope to print some new titles early next year. Please also pray that the Lord would raise up a culture among the German-speaking saints of reading the word and the ministry in a regular way.
Iberian Peninsula
This year’s Iberian Peninsula Conference will be held in Málaga, Spain from December 14 to 16. It will consist of five meetings plus many opportunities for blending outside the meetings. Please pray that the Lord would richly bless this time.
Announcements
-
Morning revival: Week 23 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 4.
After the winter training we will use weeks 3 and 4 of Material Offerings and the Lord’s Move Today. -
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.
-
The annual Southern California Spanish-speaking Conference will be Friday evening, January 18 through mid Lord’s Day, January 20, in Anaheim. The messages will be in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish; they are open to all the saints. Child care will be provided for kindergarten through sixth grade plus a room with conference broadcast for parents with children younger than kindergarten.
-
A Southern California Young People’s Blending Conference will be simultaneous with the Spanish-speaking conference. No meals or hospitality will be provided.