The Grace of God Given in the Churches of Southern California
The Southern California churches are purchasing Oak Glen and selling Engedi. The advantages of Oak Glen are a larger number and diversity of housing and meeting facilities, lower elevation with less snow, and easy access from the freeway.
Oak Glen is a place not only for young people and college students, but also for blending for all the saints in Southern California. We all need times to go away with the Lord for His special speaking to us.
This is a wonderful opportunity to buy an excellent property. The current owner wants us to be the new owner based on their experiences with us at Oak Glen over the past twenty years.
We have had architects and engineers inspect the property; we are satisfied with it. We also have a master plan for improvements and expansion; we reviewed our plan with San Bernardino County officials and they had no serious objections.
Escrow is scheduled to close November 18. The total price is $8.2 million (but the insurance company values the property at $12.5 million). The down payment is 20% of the total. The seller will loan us the remaining 80% for two years.
Regarding giving for this property, we seek to follow the churches in Macedonia (2 Cor. 8:1-5): “We make known to you, brothers, the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in much proving of affliction the abundance of their joy and the depth of their poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality; that according to their power, I testify, and beyond their power, of their own accord, with much entreaty they besought of us the grace and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints; and this, not as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.” (See also 2 Cor. 8:7 and note 5)
Grace was given in Macedonia but the saints there also sought grace with much entreaty for their giving. This brought abundance of joy. Following their pattern, each one of us can first give ourselves freshly to the Lord. Then, through His will and with His joy, not according to our power and not looking at our poverty, we each give to have fellowship in this purchase. (Our giving should not take away from our regular giving.)
Our opening to the Lord could include seeking His leading about 1) where we could reduce our expenses to release money for giving and 2) what possessions we could sell for this giving.
One-Week Trainings in London
Three one-week trainings for saints across Europe are being held in London, beginning November 2,
9, and 23. The registrations have been filled for each of these weeks. The overall theme is “The Four Great Pillars in the Lord’s Recovery: Truth, Life, the Church, and the Gospel.” These training sessions will be very helpful for all the saints throughout Europe. Please pray that the Lord will advance in the building up of His Body through these trainings.
Belgium
The annual conference in Belgium is November 14 to 15. We seek the Lord that He would refresh the
saints with a clear vision of what He desires for these final days, in order to have His Body and turn the age. Also, pray that the preparation and carrying out of the conference would be blessed by the Lord in a sweet and prevailing coordination among the saints.
Europe and the Refugees
The mass human migration out of the Middle East into Europe is a divine opportunity arranged by the
Lord’s hand. Arabic-speaking saints from the U.S. are in Europe this week to look further into the situation. Ask the Lord to enlighten them to see where and how we can best bring the gospel to the refugees.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 16 in Crystallization-Study of Exodus, vol. 3.
- The Southern California College Conference will take place November 20–22. Advanced registration to secure lodging ends Lord’s Day, November 15.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be November 26–29 in Jacksonville, Florida. A detailed announcement is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
- The 2015 Winter Training will be December 21–26 in Anaheim. Some video trainings in LA will begin December 21, some later. Registration for video ($80) and late registration for Anaheim ($205) are open until December 1.
- Please send inputs for future prayer emails to both Justin Lim, justinlim@cantab.net and Don Martin, dmartin11@socal.rr.com.