Vessels of Mercy Sovereignly Prepared unto Glory
“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Rom. 9:16)
“In order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory.” (Rom. 9:23)
If we look back upon our past, we shall worship the Lord. We shall realize that our steps have been not of ourselves, but of Him. Before we were born, He selected us and predestinated us and arranged everything related to us, including the time and place of our birth. Moreover, He appointed all our days and all the places where we are to be…. Everything that happens to us is a matter of divine mercy. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 610-611, 613)
As vessels, we are not instruments or weapons—we are containers. According to Romans 9, we contain mercy, honor, and glory. This mercy, honor, and glory are actually the Triune God. In the initial stage of our experience the Triune God is our mercy, in the progressing stage He is our honor, and in the completing stage He is our glory. At present we are enjoying our God as mercy and somewhat as honor. When the Lord Jesus comes back, we shall be fully brought into honor and also into glory. Then we shall be filled with the Triune God not only as our mercy but also as our honor and glory. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1183)
Prayer on the Ground of Christ’s Ascension
What is the Lord doing in the heavenlies today? The Bible tells us that He is waiting for His enemies to be subdued and made the footstool for His feet (Heb. 10:13). How will this be accomplished while He is waiting? This will be accomplished by the church praying a certain kind of prayer. The prayer that is needed is not an ordinary kind of prayer but a specific, definite, and extraordinary kind of prayer. This kind of prayer is based upon the ascension of Christ and claims all that the Lord has obtained and attained in His ascension. This prayer takes the ground of Christ’s ascension and is based upon the fact that the Lord has ascended to the heavens, attained to the highest place, and obtained all things. (CWWL, 1963, vol. 1, “Prayer on the Ground of Christ’s Ascension,” p. 154.)
May all the saints enter into such a specific, definite, and extraordinary kind of prayer—prayer that is based upon Christ’s ascension and claims all that He has obtained and attained in His ascension.
LA Gospel Meeting in Korean
The Korean-speaking saints in Hall 1 will hold an online gospel meeting on Friday, October 23 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Last Lord’s Day, we released the burden on being watchful and faithful. We prayed that we would use our one talent properly and not hide in the earth. Please pray for:
- the saints to be burdened to pray with companions and to invite their gospel friends;
- the Lord to cover all aspects of the meeting preparation and coordination; and
- the meeting to be carried out smoothly and richly supply all guests.
United States
With the elections approaching on November 3, we pray to release on earth the authority of the “Ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5) for His choice of elected officials. We pray for the heavens to rule and for the outcome to advance God’s interests on earth, which is Christ as God’s portion to us, as God’s kingdom, and as God’s dwelling place.
International Blending Conference Baarlo Online
Since 2010, the autumn conference in Baarlo, The Netherlands and the spring conference in London, UK are the two times a year that all the saints in Europe gather. This year, from October 16 to 18, the blending conference normally held in Baarlo will be online. The general subject is “Being Intensified by the Seven Spirits Before the Throne of God to Carry out the Divine Administration and to Consummate the Divine Economy.” Please pray for the blending of the saints and churches and for the advance of the Lord’s recovery in Europe.
Azerbaijan
Pray for the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that the tripartite being of the saints and the Lord’s interest in these countries can be preserved.
Announcements
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Morning Revival: Week 5 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
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LA Joint Meeting: Lord’s Day, November 1, we will have a meeting of the whole church in LA.
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Ministry & Gospel: Our Ministry & Gospel Meetings continues this month on October 18 and 25. The entire series may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
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Interim Instructions for Giving: Instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving, which includes Zelle, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
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Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.