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The Lord’s Move Today

There will be a Special Conference Friday, February 17 through Lord’s Day, February 19 in Anaheim. We invite all the churches and individuals to participate in this gathering.

The co-workers felt the need to expand the scope of this annual conference in February to address a particular burden from the Lord concerning the world situation and the Lord’s move today. We feel that this burden is the Lord’s express word to His recovery today, and we pray that it will be “a storm wind from the north” that issues in the moving of the high and awesome wheels.

“And I looked, and there came a storm wind from the north, a great cloud and a fire flashing incessantly; and there was a brightness around it, and from the midst of it there was something like the sight of electrum, from the midst of the fire. And from the midst of it there came the likeness of four living creatures….And whenever the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and whenever the living creatures were lifted up above the earth, the wheels were lifted up also.” (Ezek. 1:4-5a, 19)

FTT London

Thirty-six trainees from 12 countries are expected to participate in the spring semester of the FTTL, beginning February 6. Please pray for the perfecting of the trainees in their knowledge of the truth, their experience and growth in life, and their service to the Lord for His move in Europe.

Moscow, Russia

In 2012, after many years of prayer, the Lord opened an opportunity to purchase a good facility near Moscow State University to serve both as a meeting hall of the church in Moscow (District 3) and as a place for gaining students. The total cost of the project was $2.3 million with a goal of paying back a large loan within 5 years. Over the last four and a half years, through the fellowship in the Body and the participation of the churches and saints, we have been able to pay back the loan. Thank and praise the Lord that now the need is fully met!

Today we would like to express our deep appreciation to the Lord and to all of you—all the dear saints and the churches—for your faithful and rich participation in this need through your offerings and prayers. Through this entire experience related to purchasing this property, we have been reminded that the churches in Russia owe their existence and going on to the coordination, fellowship, and prayer of the Body over the entire earth. We believe that the Lord’s kingdom will continue to spread in this way to every corner of the earth until the kingdom of the world becomes the Kingdom of the Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15). Your participation in our need was a genuine experience of the Lord moving in and through His Body.

The full letter of appreciation and a video of the hall and a table meeting is at http://sites.google.com/rerus.net/msc/.

FTTA Gospel Trips

Below are some highlights from the FTTA gospel trips. Multiple reports, photos, and prayer burdens are posted at http://beseeching.org.

Please petition the Lord to encourage and supply the local saints in every city visited to pray and coordinate for shepherding the new ones in the follow-up labor after each of these trips.

Frankfurt, Germany

Every Thursday college students are invited to a home near campus for dinner. Last week six came, three for the first time, all local Germans. After dinner, there was singing, reading verses, and testimonies. One student asked, “What direction of Christianity are you? This doesn’t seem European at all.” Another testified that he kept coming because the meetings were full of energy and life. When this started last fall, some days nobody showed up, but through prayer and faithfulness, the Lord has truly blessed these times.

Spain

Spain is in an economic crisis (50% of the population out of work). Despite all the outward negative circumstances, the saints are still so shining and bright, standing as the testimony of Jesus in each locality.

Many of us could not say we had much of a burden for Europe before the trip, but now we really see that the Lord is moving here, and He needs people who are living and expressing Christ all over Europe. Praise the Lord for what He is doing in Europe! May He gain many more in Spain for His purpose.

Highlights from North America (12 teams; trips end February 11, 12, 13)

  • Everyone arrived safely and in a timely manner. After we arrived, we enjoyed a wonderful time of feasting and blending at different small group meetings.
  • We attended a glorious table meeting with saints from many different localities. Then we had a love feast as an opportunity to blend with the saints.
  • Groups of local saints, trainees, and serving ones (with support of other local saints), gave out 164 tracts and 5 NTs. Several people were interested in our free seminars. One person received the Lord!
  • We met one guy who felt he needed the gospel in his life and that the Lord sent us specifically to him.
  • Several months ago, a family moved here to open a home for students. They are now taking care of five students in their weekly home meeting.
  • Many wonderful local saints joined us in door-knocking or on campus. We made a list of contacts and friends and we’ve been praying for them by name.
  • After 4 days of sowing on college campuses and in the community, the Lord has blessed us with many positive contacts. Now we are focusing more on the shepherding and follow-up with them.
  • Snow to shovel has piled up on our driveways, but “waters to swim in meet our every need.”

Highlights from Europe (26 teams; trips ended February 2)

  • The burden was mainly to visit and encourage the local saints. The localities are small, and the homes are spread out. We visited many cities for the gospel plus a home meeting or a love feast every evening.
  • We toured a museum; by the Lord’s sovereignty a woman and her niece were in our group. We invited them to the evening meeting. They had a wonderful time, and we believe the niece received the Lord.
  • We spent one hour in the town’s main square singing and passing out tracts and Bibles. Thirteen people asking for further contact, some specifically requesting to join meetings.
  • Over these past ten days we’ve had a wonderful time. The saints have been written on our hearts and we will continue to pray for the Lord’s move here.
  • We had a Bible distribution at Sorbonne Nouvelle and were once again encouraged by the hunger and seeking of the students. We passed out 54 Bibles, and 32 people asked for further contact.
  • We went out to preach the gospel to the students going to and from the train station. We paired up and each pair spoke to at least one person for more than 5 minutes.
  • We concluded with an overflow/prayer time with the saints and lunch together. It was really sweet to us.
  • The dinners with the saints were excellent! It felt like we were at home.

Highlights from South America (3 teams; last trip ends February 6)

  • The Lord has definitely inscribed the saints into our hearts, and we feel we have been inscribed into their hearts. Praise the Lord for what He has done in these 2-½ weeks in blending us together!
  • The saints testified that our presence made a significant impact on the young people. They have not been interested in any activities that involve the church life, however the blending in the saints’ homes gave us some time with them and their friends.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Returning to the Orthodoxy of the Church, week 8. After week 9 we will begin The Direction of the Lord’s Move Today (Thanksgiving Conference).
  2. A Special Conference will take place February 17–19 in Anaheim. All saints are strongly encouraged to attend this feast. Children’s service will be provided for grades K–6, but pre-registration was required by February 5; if you missed the deadline, still register as soon as possible. For more conference information and children’s registration, visit http://specialconf2017.org.

Appendix: More Gospel Trip Highlights

Highlights from South Africa (1 team; trips ends February 6)

  • We had our first Bible study of the year in English with nine students attending. We had another the next day in Afrikaans, to reach out to this demographic of students.
  • We spent time and prayed with existing students for this semester. As last semester’s political situation caused much aggravation on campus, we encouraged them to continue laboring, as their work is eternal.

Highlights from North America (12 teams; trips end February 11, 12, 13)

  • We have arrived safely. After we arrived, we had a warm welcoming with an introductory meeting, singing with local saints and their children.
  • The number coming to the meetings is 83 and about 50% are children and young people, also 9 college students. The saints are burdened about raising up this young generation.
  • At many locations, right after we set up tables, people approached inquiring about the free study Bible.
  • When the saints knocked on the door, a student asked them to come in. As they shared about his spirit, he wanted more! They shared The Mystery of Human Life and he prayed the prayer boldly, no hesitation!
  • In the evening, we had a love feast and Bible study time. It was a first time for many new ones to experience a released singing.
  • On Saturday all the visiting trainees and local full-timers shared their testimonies, then a campus tour, then a young people’s meeting where trainees shared testimonies of being led by the Lord to FTTA.
  • We had another night of blending with the saints over the dinner table. From day to day we partake the food with exultation and simplicity of heart, just as in Acts 2:46.
  • After singing, we read Hebrews 12 and some shared what they enjoyed—it was really supplying. One new one contacted this week through door-knocking, spoke on what he had been enjoying in the Word.
  • Some of us joined local saints to visit a group of Ethiopian believers. The fellowship was very sweet. They all shared their testimony and also how they have been enjoying reading the ministry.
  • One student was crying as the sisters preached the gospel because she felt lonely and had lost hope in Christianity.
  • A student, after receiving a NT and Basic Elements of the Christian Life, sat down nearby about 30 min to read.
  • Two patients (and two nurses) of the clinic beside our coordination center took the Bibles and were seen reading while waiting to be seen by the doctor.
  • We had several home meetings with local saints, young people, children, and new ones and all meetings were very encouraging and enjoyable.

Highlights from Europe (26 teams; trips ended February 2)

  • We have been touched by the saints’ pouring out on us with their care—physically, emotionally, and spiritually! The saints are really the excellent!!
  • In the morning we had the Lord’s table and prophesying. At night, the same in another city. Everything was so rich, especially so many saints functioning. The young people here are also very living!
  • Everywhere is a rich feast (spiritually and physically) with the saints. Each time we have come to them or they come to us there is a rich enjoyment and flow of Christ and a great building.
  • One contact we met at a local store near the meeting hall was very open to set up an appointment to speak about the Lord.
  • About 40 saints went to sing in the central train station—a wonderful time! What was really touching is that before we sang, the brother told us we are here not just for the gospel but to first enjoy the Lord.
  • Our day of sightseeing—little did we know, we were about to have a second appointment with a contact met last week. We had a really good conversation and will meet with him again on campus tomorrow.
  • We were encouraged by how blended we got with the saints and touched by their outpouring. It was hard leaving, because we truly felt at home.
  • We cleaned the meeting hall in the morning and had lunch with the saints. We passed out tracts in the afternoon and blended with more saints in their homes in the evening.

Highlights from South America (3 teams; last trip ends February 6)

  • Upon arriving in this city, we were greeted with warmth and love by the saints singing to us.
  • Before distributing tracts in the park, we spoke with a men selling coconut water. He showed interest and called on the name of the Lord with us. He asked to take a picture with him, and we called while taking the picture. He told the local saints that there was something within us that is drawing him.
  • A contact shared that while spending time with us at the park, she felt there was something in us that strongly attracted them to us. She was also very thankful that the saints lovingly welcomed her and her daughter lovingly and hopes that her family would be able to join the saints in future times.