Prayer, Week of August 22

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Being Constituted with the Truth

"Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom and instruction and understanding." (Prov. 23:23)

"Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

For the consummation of the divine economy, we need to be constituted with the truth. To be constituted with the truth is to have the intrinsic element of the divine revelation wrought into us to become our constituent, our intrinsic being, our organic constitution.

We have to pay the price to learn the truths. We need to enter into the intrinsic significance of the Holy Scriptures to find out what the Lord says and what He wants. We have no right to invent anything; rather, we discover what is in the Bible. After we have learned the truth, we still have to experience Christ so that He may become our reality; in this way, when we speak to people, we will not give them knowledge or doctrine, but we will minister Christ to them.

We need to be delivered from skating on the surface of the divine truth and cooperate with the Lord by laboring together with Him to dive into the depths of the truth of His marvelous New Testament economy. Those who are constituted with the truth are a great blessing to the church. (Knowing the Truth, Being Absolute for the Truth, and Proclaiming the Truth in the Present Evil Age, msg. 3, II, A, G-I)

Southern California Special Training on the Eldership

A new term of the special training on the eldership for elders and responsible brothers in Southern California begins this Saturday, August 28 on Zoom. Through regular corporate gatherings, group times, and personal study, the burden is to strengthen the present eldership and responsible brothers in the churches, to perfect and raise up the next generation of leading brothers, and to gradually bring more younger brothers into a functioning role in an organic way. Please pray:

  1. For the Lord to abundantly grace and strengthen all the participants—both new and returning ones—and become their perseverance and faithfulness to present themselves absolutely to this training.
  2. That an unprecedented one accord among the churches in Southern California will be ushered in as all the brothers are attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion.
  3. That the Lord will bless this ongoing training so that all participants will be perfected further for the Lord's testimony in Southern California and for the building up of the church, the Body of Christ.

University of Southern California

USC began in-person classes on Monday, August 23. Many students are back in LA for the first time in a while. Please pray that the Lord would:

  • Greatly supply and strengthen all the students in the church life as they begin this semester in-person.
  • Reach lost ones, new ones, and classmates at USC as the light of life.
  • Gain a testimony of oneness and the one new man on this campus.

Cal State Northridge

The Fall semester at CSUN starts on Monday, August 30 with in-person and online classes. A group of student brothers will take a trip together from August 26 to 28. Please pray that Lord would:

  • Cover the trip and companionize and build the brothers up together.
  • Release a core group of students at CSUN this semester to pray and co-labor with the community saints to spread the gospel.
  • Raise up the shepherds and the homes to care for the students.
  • Gain some new ones and remaining fruit through the club this year.

Bibles for America

BfA has released a new gospel tract called "How Can I Know God Exists?" This tract helps a person know God exists by pointing them to their human spirit. It has also been turned into a video titled "Does God Exist? How Can I Know?"

The digital version of the tract and the video are available at http://gospel.biblesforamerica.org and can be shared via text message, email, or social media. Physical copies of this tract, along with all our other tracts, can be purchased in packs of 100 on http://materials.bfa.org.

Please pray that these gospel materials would reach many more people, causing them to open their hearts and receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Pray that our Savior God's desire would be fulfilled for all men to be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth.

Kenya

As a way to propagate the gospel in Kenya, the brothers registered a company called High Peak Truths Publishers Kenya to spearhead the work of receiving and distributing ministry materials. Realizing that we have a commission to reach sinners, we plan to distribute 3,000 gospel tracts per month. We have also begun to translate our hymns into Swahili. We have already translated 95 hymns, which are currently being edited. By the end of 2021, our target is to have 200 hymns translated. These hymns will be used in our meetings, especially in the countryside where the saints love to sing and fellowship in Swahili.

To read more about Kenya as well as the campus and literature work in Ethiopia, download the July 2021 newsletter of the Lord's Move to Africa in English or Chinese at http://www.lmafrica.org.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 3 of Knowing the Truth, Being Absolute for the Truth, and Proclaiming the Truth in the Present Evil Age (Memorial Day Conference).
  2. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: Live broadcast this Wednesday 7:30 pm in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese at http://lsm.org/live.
  3. Living Stream Ministry is offering a free e-booklet, Life's Purpose—To Build the House of God. Formats include PDF, Kindle, Audiobook, and more! Visit http://www.lsm.org/lifes-purpose.
  4. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

Prayer, Week of August 15

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The Truth Setting Us Free and Sanctifying Us

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:32)

"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." (John 17:17)

We cannot sanctify ourselves. The more we try to be sanctified, the more involved we become with things that are common. But when the word mingled with the essence of the Triune God is imparted into us as the truth, this truth sanctifies us.

Every morning we can touch the living Word and have the divine reality infused into our being. In this way the Triune God is transfused into us. This transfusion of the element of God frees us from such negative things as temper, jealousy, hatred, and pride. It sets us free from every kind of falsehood. This is real liberation, real freedom.

As we are being set free, we are also sanctified, separated, made holy to God, not only positionally but also dispositionally. We become one with God because His very essence is being wrought into us. This is what it means to be sanctified by the word of truth. Like breathing, we cannot do this once for all; rather, it must be a continual exercise. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 3, "Truth Messages," pp. 327-328)

Resumption of School

On Monday, August 16, all LAUSD schools had their first day of class. Other schools in the Los Angeles area have already begun or will be starting shortly as well. With most schools practicing in-person instruction, we need much prayer for our elementary, middle, and high school students and their families. Please pray that the Lord would:

  1. Be the peace to each student and their family as they face various complexities and anxieties related to resuming in-person classes.
  2. Shine brightly out from our students to their classmates and use this situation to bring some to salvation.
  3. Cover the atmosphere, health, and safety of students, teachers, and administrators for the fulfillment of the Lord's purpose.

Wednesday Night Ministry Meetings

We are pleased to announce that the weekly Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting will resume this week on August 18 at 7:30 pm. To limit the spread of COVID-19, only the FTTA trainees and staff will be allowed to attend the live meetings in person. The saints and churches in Southern California can watch the meeting free of charge via webcast at http://lsm.org/live. The meeting will be broadcast in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean. The outlines will be posted on the same site.

Please pray for the ministry of the Lord's word week by week and for many more saints to take advantage of the live broadcast format to be nourished and edified. Pray for the Lord's continued blessing of the Full-time Training in Anaheim and covering of all trainees and serving ones.

FTTA-XB

The fall term of the Full-time Training Extension in Boston begins in person this week. The burden of this training is to produce full-time serving ones who are equipped to serve the Lord for an extended period of time. The primary aspects of this training are the learning of the basic lessons in service and the deeper development of the necessary experiences of life. A secondary but very important aspect is to train the young saints to study the truth and read the Bible properly to enable them to apprehend the depths of God's revelation progressively over the full course of their serving life.

Please pray that the trainees would be equipped in the realization of the divine truths according to the Scriptures by the revelation of the Holy Spirit and would spend much time and effort to study the truth so that they may be fully equipped for the Lord's service.

FTTL

Pray for the Lord's blessing on the fall term of the Full-time Training in London, which began this week on August 16. Pray that the Lord will continue to use the FTTL to raise up a group of young overcomers in Europe who will be obedient to the heavenly vision and will be one with Him for His final move to build up His Body and prepare His bride for His return.

Myanmar

Continue to pray for the saints to be covered, preserved and supplied during the social unrest and Covid-19 epidemic. Also pray for the Full-time Training in Yangon and the translation work to be strengthened and supplied.

Ethiopia

Amana Ethiopia Printing and Publishing is currently operating in Ethiopia for the propagation of the ministry. At present we are working to get copyright permission from the Living Stream Ministry for the translation and printing of the ministry books.

We are also producing video messages to introduce the ministry in Ethiopia and East Africa. Three different Facebook pages have been created for this purpose. Messages from books such as The Normal Christian Life, Twelve Baskets Full and Life-Study of John are shared on these pages in order to help our viewers know and experience the truth in their daily life. We have already posted 45 short videos in English and 39 videos in two of the local Ethiopian languages.

Within a short period of time, we have attracted 6,300 followers and received over 200 contacts from different parts of the country. The openness and hunger of those who have contacted us for further fellowship impelled us to start a 30-day program on "God's Full Salvation." Currently we have translated these messages into the Amharic language, and we are preparing for the recording of these messages. We plan to use them as shepherding material for our contacts.

To read more about the campus and literature work in Ethiopia, download the July 2021 newsletter of the Lord's Move to Africa in English or Chinese at http://www.lmafrica.org.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 2 of Knowing the Truth, Being Absolute for the Truth, and Proclaiming the Truth in the Present Evil Age (Memorial Day Conference).
  2. Living Stream Ministry is offering a free e-booklet, Life's Purpose - To Build the House of God. Formats include PDF, Kindle, Audiobook, and more! Visit http://www.lsm.org/lifes-purpose.
  3. Holy Bible Recovery Version App is the official app from Living Stream Ministry that contains the Recovery Version of the Holy Bible in English with its enlightening footnotes, valuable cross-references, and useful charts and maps. For more information, go to http://www.lsm.org/rvapp.html.
  4. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

Prayer, Week of August 8

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Being Renewed to Testify to the Truth

"For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I would testify to the truth…" (John 18:37b)

The Lord's recovery is the recovery of the divine truths as revealed in the Word of God. Many truths in the Word have been lost, misunderstood, and wrongly applied; thus, there is the need of the Lord's recovery. We need to know the truth and be absolute for the truth, for upholding the absoluteness of the truth, and for testifying to the truth in the present evil age.

If we want to testify to the truth in the present age, we must obey Paul's command in Romans 12:2: "Do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind." We should not be assimilated by the world to the extent that we who have been separated from the world unto God have the same image as this age. We need to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, allowing the mingled spirit to spread into our mind, thus becoming the spirit of the mind and causing our mind, emotion, and will to be renewed by a new element being wrought into our inner being. (Knowing the Truth, msg. 1, I, B, Key Statement 1, IV.E, E.2-3)

Let us pray for all the saints, including our young people, to be renewed in the spirit of our mind in order to meet the Lord's need in this age to testify to the truth.

FTTA

Hebrews 6:1 says, "Let us be brought on to maturity." In the experience of our spiritual life, there is always the Lord's doing, on the one side, and our pursuing in cooperation with Him, on the other side. The Lord wants to bring us on to maturity, but we still need to cooperate with Him by being brought on to perfection, to maturity. The Lord wants to bring us on, but we must let Him do it. This is our willing cooperation with His gracious work. (Footnote 3 on Heb. 6:1)

Pray for the beginning of the new term of the FTTA, that the trainees would be built up in Christ in the growth of His life unto maturity and would have a solid pursuit and progress in life.

South Africa

Full-time Training in Pretoria

FTTP is back in session with pre-training from August 9 to 15. The training is in-person for those who are able to come and online for those who could not get visas; many community saints are also joining online. This term, the Lord has blessed us with 17 trainees, including four first-termers.

Please pray for the release of the Lord's speaking this week to all trainees and saints in attendance. Also ask the Lord, according to His will, if He would release more saints to enroll as trainees for this term, even at the last minute.

Update on Durban and the Recent Unrest

We thank the Lord that daily activities in Durban and the rest of South Africa are returning to normal. May the Lord continue to stabilize the situation in South Africa for His interest. May He preserve the saints in His up-to-date calling and move, and may He protect them from the wearing-out tactics of the enemy.

Please see the Appendix below for the full update.

Bibles for Canada

Last month, Bibles for Canada (BfC) sent two brothers to participate in an internship with Bibles for America (BfA) with a view toward maintaining the fellowship and healthy circulation between BfA and its affiliates. Both the BfA staff and the BfC interns thoroughly enjoyed this time of mutual encouragement and felt refreshed in the burden to spread God's Word to the hungry seekers.

Please pray for the Word of God to continue spreading throughout the Canadian provinces in both the English- and French-speaking communities. Pray that many more people would order a free NT Recovery Version from BfC and come to the full knowledge of the truth.

Vietnam

Pray for the distribution of seven Rhema e-books, that the gospel of the kingdom can be spread to all Vietnamese-speaking people and the word of the ministry can be supplied to the seeking Christians.

European Young People's Conferences

The last of the European Young People's Conferences will be carried out in Norway from August 12 to 15. Please pray for the Lord's continued blessing on the YP conferences in Europe, especially that the Lord will gain a group of young people who will be one with Him to consummate His eternal economy by building up His organic Body for His coming back.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 1 of Knowing the Truth, Being Absolute for the Truth, and Proclaiming the Truth in the Present Evil Age (Memorial Day Conference).
  2. Living Stream Ministry is offering a free e-booklet, Life's Purpose—To Build the House of God. Formats include PDF, Kindle, Audiobook, and more! Visit http://www.lsm.org/lifes-purpose.
  3. Bibles for America has easy-to-use resources for telling people about God's salvation. Visit http://gospel.bfa.org (English) or http://gospel.bfa.org/es (Español).

 

Appendix

AN UPDATE ON THE RECENT UNREST IN SOUTH AFRICA

Thank you very much for your concern and prayer during the unrest and looting which impacted South Africa, particularly the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces. All the saints in South Africa have received much supply and encouragement from the prayers of the Body, even though the greatest need was in the church in Durban. We wish to give you the following update:

The South African government has been trying to ensure that peace and stability are maintained throughout the country and that there are no further incidents of violence. The President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has said that the riots were a “coordinated and well-planned attack” and “those behind these acts have sought to provoke a popular insurrection.” Thankfully the attempted insurrection has failed and the situation has calmed down. Daily activities in Durban and all of South Africa are returning back to normal. It has, however, affected both poor and middle-class areas. Private and government property have been damaged and destroyed. People have been injured and lives have been lost. Many South Africans have been so disturbed by these events, which unfolded in such a rapid and uncontrolled manner, that they are making plans to emigrate.

It was a traumatic experience, especially for the saints in Durban. However, it was measured and there was much grace. Thankfully, no lives or livelihoods of the saints were directly affected because of this satanic chaos. Therefore, there are no direct financial needs among the saints and churches due to this unrest.

We really appreciate being in the fellowship of the Body. The prayers of the churches in this regard are much needed. May the Lord continue to stabilize the situation in South Africa for His interest. May He keep using and blessing South Africa for the carrying out of His will and continue to use this country for the accomplishment of His economy on earth. May the Lord preserve the saints in His up-to-date calling and move, and may He protect them from the wearing-out tactics of the enemy.

On another note: the saints in South Africa also need much prayer regarding the COVID-19 pandemic at this time. South Africa was just emerging from a third wave driven by the Delta variant and was in the throes of it when the unrest began. During this third wave many more saints have been directly affected with a number contracting the disease and having hard battles to recover. Currently (beginning of August) more than 20 saints who are in the church life in different parts of South Africa are suffering from the illness. Others have also lost family members. This has resulted in much grief and many difficult changes in their living. May the Lord head up this situation in Himself and protect the saints during this time. May the Lord strengthen and advance His move in Africa!

 


Prayer, Week of August 1

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Bringing the Lord Back by Becoming Pillars

"And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Rev. 21:2)

"He who overcomes, him I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall by no means go out anymore, and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My new name." (Rev. 3:12)

The governing vision of the Bible is the Triune God working Himself into His chosen and redeemed people in order to saturate their entire being with the Divine Trinity for the producing and building up of the church as the Body of Christ, consummating in the New Jerusalem. The overcomers produced by Christ as the sevenfold intensified, life-giving Spirit build up the Body in this age for the initial consummation of the New Jerusalem in the kingdom age and eventually for the full consummation of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth.

The Lord Jesus will make the overcomer in the recovered church a pillar built into the temple of God. In the church life today, the Lord is working Himself into us and making us, constituting us, into pillars in the temple of God. Without the overcomers the Body of Christ cannot be built up, and unless the Body of Christ is built up, Christ cannot come back for His bride. (Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life, msg. 8, IV.A, I.A.2, III, III.A.2, I.A.1)

Pray that the Lord would make us all pillars in the temple of God in this age, overcomers who build up the Body, prepare the bride, and bring the Lord back!

FTTA Middle-Age Training

The fall semester of the FTTA Middle-Age Training starts on August 30 in Anaheim. Registration is still open. The application deadline is August 10.

After a long recess due to the pandemic, we are looking to the Lord for a new beginning in the spirit of a fresh consecration and a renewed sense of the Lord's imminent return. We pray that the Lord will stir in the hearts of many saints to rise up to redeem the years that the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25) and seize the opportunity to be trained. In the Middle-age Training, saints of different races, nationalities, and languages, come together to be perfected in an atmosphere of blending to usher in the reality of the Body of Christ for the one new man.

Please pray that many saints in the Lord's recovery between the ages of 35 and 65 will seize this opportunity to be perfected. For more details, visit http://fttamidage.org.

Full-time Training in Anaheim

New and returning FTTA trainees are in Anaheim this week for orientation. During this period of significant adjustment, please pray for the preservation of each trainee and serving one's tripartite being. Pray for abundant grace to flow to strengthen each one to meet all the needs and demands. Pray for all to learn the secret of experiencing Christ in everything and in every place with His life that is able to fit all situations.

India – FTTND

The fall term of the Full-time Training in New Delhi began last week with 40 trainees, 20 of whom are new. Although the COVID situation in the area has improved, classes are still being carried out online, with first termers situated mainly in the training center and the others in nearby districts.

Please pray for the Lord to cover all the trainees and serving ones, that their spirit, soul and body would be preserved complete. Pray for the trainees' openness to be perfected at this particular time so that the Lord can gain them and become what He should be in all of them.

European YP Conference

This year's European Young People's Conference is being carried out regionally, in person and remotely, and at different times between July 26 and August 15. The topic is "Patterns of Living an Overcoming Life." Please pray for the Lord's continued blessing on the YP conferences in Europe, especially that the Lord will gain a group of young people who will be one with Him to consummate His eternal economy by building up His organic Body for His coming back.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 8 of Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life (ITERO). Next week, we begin Knowing the Truth, Being Absolute for the Truth, and Proclaiming the Truth in the Present Evil Age (Memorial Day Conference).
  2. Living Stream Ministry is offering a free e-booklet, Life's Purpose—To Build the House of God. Formats include PDF, Kindle, Audiobook, and more! Visit http://www.lsm.org/lifes-purpose.
  3. Bible for America's latest blogpost asks, "What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?" To read the answer, visit http://blog.biblesforamerica.org.
  4. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

Prayer, Week of July 25

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Blending for the Reality of the Body of Christ

"…But God has blended the body together, giving more abundant honor to the member that lacked, that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same care for one another." (1 Cor. 12:24-25)

The word blended means "adjusted," "harmonized," "tempered," and "mingled," implying the losing of distinctions. In order to be blended for the reality of the Body of Christ, we have to go through the cross and be by the Spirit to dispense Christ to others for the building up of the Body of Christ. Such a blending is not social but the blending of the very Christ whom the individual members, the district churches, the co-workers, and the elders enjoy, experience, and partake of.

The purpose of the blending is to usher us all into the reality of the Body of Christ. We need to be in the local churches as the procedure to be brought into the reality of the Body of Christ as the goal. The blending is for the building up of the universal Body of Christ to consummate the New Jerusalem as the final goal of God's economy according to His good pleasure. (Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life, msg. 7, IV, IV.A, D, E.1, 5)

North America College Training

Thank you, saints, for all of you prayers for the College Training! We had more than 90 saints from LA participate. The Lord truly blessed this training and spoke some special and timely words to us. Please pray that the students would begin right away to enter into the reality of what the Lord spoke to them.

During the training, we were also able to spend time with some of our incoming UCLA freshmen. Please pray that they would continue to be built in with us during these summer months.

Lastly, pray that our brand new Southern California College Students podcast, Discovering Christ, would be a source of nourishment to many students this summer, including new incoming freshmen.

North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training

The 2021 North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training is currently taking place from July 24 to 31. The main burden is based on the ministry book The Ten Great Critical 'Ones' for the Building Up of the Body of Christ. Please continue to pray for:

  1. All the trainees to open their whole being to the Lord for the burden to be released and received.
  2. The trainees to be perfected in truth, life, gospel, and service unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

Bibles for America

In the fall of 2020, BfA purchased a new shipment of Bibles. The first installment of this order, which included 125,000 copies of the NT Recovery Version—100,000 in English and 25,000 in Spanish—arrived at our distribution center in Anaheim at the end of June.

Please pray for the thousands of people who will be ordering these English and Spanish Bibles. Pray that once they receive a Bible, they would read it with an open heart and be enlightened, encouraged, and nourished by the riches in God's Word.

European YP Conference

This year's European Young People's Conference is being carried out regionally, in person and remotely, and at different times between July 26 and August 15. The topic is "Patterns of Living an Overcoming Life." Please pray for the Lord's continued blessing on the YP conferences in Europe, especially that the Lord will gain a group of young people who will be one with Him to consummate His eternal economy by building up His organic Body for His coming back.

Lord's Move to Europe

A recent report on the Lord's move in Europe in video and written form was made available during the July Semiannual Training. This report can be found at http://amanatrust.org.uk/page/reports. An earlier report from different areas across Europe written in May 2021 is available on the same web page. Please do not download the video report.

Please continue to pray that the Lord will gain a prevailing testimony of the one new man, His Body, in every major city in Europe for His coming back.

Bangladesh

Pray for the translation of the NT Recovery Version into Bengali to be completed in five years and for the translators to be strengthened to have a proper understanding for translation.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 7 of Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life (ITERO). After next week, starting August 9, we begin Knowing the Truth, Being Absolute for the Truth, and Proclaiming the Truth in the Present Evil Age (Memorial Day Conference).
  2. FTTA Middle-Age Training: The FTTA-MA 2021 fall semester will begin on August 30. Registration is open. The application deadline is August 10. For details, visit http://fttamidage.org.
  3. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Each week Living Stream Ministry posts a free video from messages given by Brother Lee at http://lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  4. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

Prayer, Week of July 18

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Denying Our Natural Disposition for Growth and Usefulness

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt. 16:24)

"I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Gal. 2:20)

The thing that most damages our usefulness in the Christian life and church life is our living according to our natural disposition. It is the real enemy of our growth in the divine life and the major factor that spoils our usefulness in the hand of the Lord. The way to deal with our natural disposition is to realize and remember that we are crucified persons and remain under that realization and reality throughout the day. Our natural disposition is our self; it is in us, and it is us. Practically speaking, to deny the self is simply to deny our natural disposition. As Christians, we have to live Christ by continually exercising our spirit to reject our self and live by another life, the crucified and resurrected Christ, signified by the tree of life. (Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life, msg. 6, I.C, F, G)

Lord, Go Forth to Conquer Through Us

"And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer… And…another horse, a red one, went forth; and to him who sits on it, to him authority was given to take peace from the earth, and that men should slay one another… And…a black horse… And…a pale horse." (Rev. 6:2, 4-5, 8)

Human living is characterized by increases in troubling events including murders, rebellions, famines, waves of pandemic, extreme weather, fires, and lies. All of these correspond to the second, third, and fourth horses (war, famine, death). But we stand with the conquering of the first horse (the gospel)! May all the negative events cause people to realize their emptiness and insecurity and turn them to the gospel. May the Lord empower us to rise up more to proclaim the gospel. Lord, run and conquer through us!

North America College Training

The goal of the College Training is to supply our students with a vision, equip them with truth, help them in their experience of life, perfect them in the preaching of the gospel, and develop their character so they can become useful vessels for the building up of the Body of Christ.

This year's NACT will take place as a hybrid online and in-person training from July 21 to 25. The topic is "Rise Up & Build" and focuses on three Old Testament books (Ezra, Nehemiah, and Haggai) that cover the recovery of the building of the house and city of God.

Nearly 1,600 saints have registered, including over 1,100 students. They are encouraged to gather together, if possible, to participate in the schedule. In particular, the 84 registered saints from LA will be coming together on Saturday to watch the messages and fellowship in small groups.

Lord, gain those who will rise up and build Your house today!

North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training

The 2021 North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training will be from July 24 to 31. The main burden is based on the ministry book The Ten Great Critical 'Ones' for the Building Up of the Body of Christ. Please pray for:

  1. All the trainees to prepare themselves and open their whole being to the Lord.
  2. The burden of the training to be released through the speaking and received by all the trainees.
  3. The trainees to be perfected in truth, life, gospel, and service unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

Full-time Training in Anaheim

As we prepare to resume the FTTA in person this August, please continue to pray that the Lord would open the way for many to come. We are asking Him to increase our number by sending 120 first-term trainees to Anaheim. Domestic applications will still be accepted up until July 21.

Nordic-Baltic Online Conference

The upcoming Nordic-Baltic Online Conference will be July 23 to 26, hosted by the churches in Norway. We pray and expect the Lord's rich blessing for this time of fellowship, and hope that many saints, not only from the Nordic countries and Baltic States but also from many Russian- and English-speaking churches, will be able to participate and blend for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Durban, South Africa

The churches in South Africa have been praying for 9 years for the city of Durban, and the saints started meeting on the ground there in 2018. Over the past two weeks, there has been widespread violence and unrest. Pray for the Lord to protect the saints, release the gospel, and increase His testimony!

The Appendix below contains a letter from the brothers in Durban on behalf of the church there.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 6 of Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life (ITERO).
  2. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

Appendix

A REQUEST FOR PRAYER FROM THE CHURCH IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

Dear saints,

The church in Durban, South Africa, would like to open our situation in fellowship for the prayer of the Body.

Since July 5, there has been ongoing unrest in our province and city. Things escalated with the burning of trucks on the highway, followed by widespread looting and violence. In the neighborhood where most of the saints live, the mobs have vandalized and emptied every store. We have endured days of hearing gunshots in our neighborhood and have been concerned for the safety of the saints and of our families.

Within the city and the province, we expect that food security is going to be an issue. Food and fuel, where available, are already being rationed. We believe it is no coincidence that there is a battle for possession of this land. The country’s infrastructure has been disrupted as major highways are blockaded. The military have been called in to protect key points, such the airport, the harbor, the law courts, the hospitals, and the fuel refineries, but they are not doing much in the way of protecting the population. The police are understaffed, and armed civilians are now patrolling their own neighborhoods. Similar incidents, but not on the same scale, have also been occurring in Johannesburg and other areas in the Gauteng province.

The churches in South Africa have been praying for 9 years for Durban, and the saints started meeting on the ground here in 2018. For the past couple of years, the saints in South Africa have also been praying strongly for the Lord to strengthen His testimony in 3 cities—Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.

We would ask the saints to fight for this situation. These occurrences will affect the whole country and will have lasting socio-economic repercussions during a time when COVID-19 and rampant corruption have already devastated the economy. We are at a crossroads and need the saints to pray for Durban.

Please pray with us to stand against the powers and principalities in the air over this city, release the gospel, preserve life in this city, strengthen the testimony, and cover the saints in this province.

The brothers in the church in Durban


Prayer, Week of July 11

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Praying Together in One Accord

"Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens." (Matt. 18:19)

"These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer…" (Acts 1:14a)

In Matt. 18:19 the Lord spoke of two praying together on earth in harmony, in one accord. That was His leading, His training, and His directing us to pray in one accord. As a test of whether we are practicing the oneness or not, we may check to see whether there is one accord in our prayer meeting.

To say Amen in response to others' prayer is a practice taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians. In 14:16 Paul says that we need to pray in such a way that others can say Amen. If there are no Amens to indicate our one accord, we should not expect that our prayer will be heard. If only two on earth pray in one accord, their prayer will be answered. The one accord is the practice, the application, of the oneness, and the oneness is the basis on which we practice the one accord. (CWWL, 1989, vol. 4, "Elders' Training, Book 10: The Eldership and the God-ordained Way (2)," pp. 371-372)

Gaining, Possessing, and Experiencing More of Christ for Christ

"…Now then arise, and cross over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the children of Israel." (Josh. 1:2)

Our need today is to gain more of Christ, to possess more of Christ, and to experience more of Christ. Our gaining, possessing, and experiencing Christ will make Him real to us. This is not only for our enjoyment but also for Christ to be what He should be. At present, the Christ among us is much less than the Christ in the heavens. The Christ among us is different from the Christ in the heavens. This means that among us Christ is not yet what He should be.

We today need to take and possess the land for Christ. We need to gain Christ for Christ. If we do this, we will do Christ a favor. However, if we go on living a routine Christian life and church life, we will not be able to gain the land for Christ. For this, God needs some overcomers. (Life-study of Joshua, msg. 6)

Pray that the Lord's speaking in the recent Crystallization-study of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth would operate in us through our musing and laboring on the Word. Pray that through this training the Lord will gain a people in His recovery who are one with Him to possess Him as their God-promised good land and who are the proper persons to bring Him forth to meet today's need of both God and men.

FTTL

Starting from this upcoming term of the Full-time Training in London, non-UK residents will be attending the training via a two-year visa designed for people attending a residential Christian community. Over the coming two weeks young people from different countries will be making their applications. Please pray that the Lord's hand would be with each application and that each trainee would successfully receive their visa for the sake of the Lord's move in Europe.

Indonesia

Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous country, is currently experiencing a devastating wave of coronavirus cases. More than 850 of our saints have been infected, 8 of whom have passed away, and over 150 have recovered. We have also witnessed the churches fellowshipping and praying more fervently in one accord, and the saints have been offering themselves selflessly to care for the sick saints.

We hope that the churches all over the earth can stand one with us in prayer. Pray for the safety of all our saints who have been infected, for the spread of the virus to be contained, for the saints to be strengthened into their inner man, and for the Lord to gain what He is after.

Please refer to the Appendix below for the full letter of fellowship from the brothers in Jakarta on behalf of the churches in Indonesia regarding the current situation there.

Lord's Move to Africa

The June 2021 newsletter of the Lord's Move to Africa reports on how the Lord is strengthening His testimony in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. We thank the Lord that the restrictions from the pandemic have gradually been lifted, and the Lord is now able to move unhindered.

This issue is available to download in English and Chinese at http://www.lmafrica.org.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 5 of Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life (ITERO).
  2. FTTA and FTTA-XB virtual graduation videos may be viewed for a limited time at http://www.ftta.org.
  3. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

 

Appendix

A LETTER OF FELLOWSHIP FROM THE CHURCHES IN INDONESIA

Dear saints in churches in the US,

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the frailty and the uncertainty of our human existence, while at the same time it has afforded us the opportunity to enter into the practical application of the reality of the Body of Christ.

As of July 10, 2021, the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in Indonesia is 2,491,006, with an increase of 35,094 new cases from the previous day. With the rest of the nation and the region, we have been reeling in the past two months with the swift turn of events as we assist hundreds of saints who have been infected with the virus to have access to limited medicines, hospital beds, and timely medical treatment.

As for today, more than 850 of our saints, their families, and their gospel contacts, mostly in Jakarta, have been infected, and 8 saints have passed away, while more than 150 saints have recovered. As we are feeling the sorrow of those who have lost a loved one and the worry of those who are currently sick, we have also witnessed the churches fellowshipping and praying more fervently in one accord, and the saints have been offering themselves selflessly to care for the sick saints.

On the practical side, the serving ones are daily coordinating with the saints in all localities to assist the infected ones in finding resources for medicines and treatment. The leading brothers in the churches are also calling all the saints to rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, and persevere in prayer through shepherding one another. We believe that through this pandemic we can practice to love one another, to allow Christ to make His home our hearts, and to have a substantial expression of the Body in the church for the spreading of the gospel and the truth.

Although we are many, we are one Body in Christ, and the sufferings of the members of the Body is our suffering. With this pandemic, we are reminded that no one is safe unless everyone is safe, and the same holds true for our church life. We hope that the churches all over the earth can stand one with us in prayer. Please pray for the safety of all our saints who have been infected with the virus, for the spread of the virus to be contained, for the saints to be strengthened into their inner man, and for the Lord to gain what He is after.

Your brothers in the church in Jakarta
On behalf of the churches in Indonesia

 


Prayer, Week of July 4

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Semiannual Training

The July Semiannual Training is taking place this week. The books being crystallized in this training are Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. Please pray that through this training the Lord will gain a people in His recovery who are one with Him to possess Him as their God-promised good land and who are the proper persons to bring Him forth to meet today's need of both God and men.

Persevering in Prayer

The website http://beseeching.org is a wonderful resource to help the saints to persevere in daily intercessory prayer. Daily posts consist of suggested prayer burdens based on Bible verses and portions from the ministry. Those who wish to receive a daily email can subscribe on the website.

Bibles for America

Please pray for all those who have received a free NT Recovery Version, that they would set aside time to get into the interpreted Word, and that they would experience God's speaking in their daily lives.

GTCA Cities

Please continue to pray for the migration of burdened saints and the strengthening of the Lord's testimony in Cincinnati, Lexington, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Charlotte, Columbia, Memphis, Orlando, Pittsburgh, and Richmond.

European YP Conference

This year's European Young People's Conference in late July and early August will cover "Patterns of Living an Overcoming Life." It will be held regionally in person if the situation allows, or online where it is not possible to meet in person. Please pray for the Lord to release the registrations and bless all the fellowship and practical coordination related to this conference.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Enjoy training verses or repeat Week 4 of Vital Factors.
    Next week, starting July 12, we will get into Week 5 of Vital Factors.
  2. FTTA and FTTA-XB virtual graduation videos may be viewed for a limited time at http://www.ftta.org.
  3. North America Chinese-speaking Perfecting Training is online from July 24 to 31. Any interested saints from Los Angeles may register until July 11 at http://tinyurl.com/bd3ny3fc.
  4. Holy Bible Recovery Version App is the official app from Living Stream Ministry that contains the Recovery Version of the Holy Bible in English with its enlightening footnotes, valuable cross-references, and useful charts and maps. For more information, go to http://www.lsm.org/rvapp.html.
  5. Living Stream Ministry has launched a digital newsletter called "Having This Ministry..." To learn more and subscribe, go to http://newsletters.lsm.org/having-this-ministry/index.html.
  6. FTTA Middle-Age Training is pleased to announce that the 2021 Fall semester begins on August 30. For details, visit http://fttamidage.org.
  7. Ways to Give: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

Prayer, Week of June 27

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The Divine Authority in the Church

"Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting." (Rev. 4:2)

"And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street." (Rev. 22:1)

There is a divine government in the church life today, and this government comes from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The divine authority in the church is for God to dispense Himself into us as life, as the life supply, and as the all-sufficient grace. Only by submitting to the throne can we share in His all-sufficient source of the flowing grace.

We should never separate authority from grace or grace from authority. Grace and authority are one. Today the Lord Jesus does not reign merely with authority. He is reigning in the church, among the churches, and over all the churches through the flowing of His life as grace. (Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life, msg. 4, V, V.A, B.2.a, B.3)

Semiannual Training

The July Semiannual Training will be held online beginning next Monday, July 5. The books to be crystallized in this training are Joshua, Judges, and Ruth.

Ask the Lord to prepare all who have registered to be good listeners and absorbers of the word, and to participate as much as possible in study times. Pray that through this training the Lord will gain a people in His recovery who are one with Him to possess Him as their God-promised good land and who are the proper persons to bring Him forth to meet today's need of both God and men.

SoCal Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting

The Southern California Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting was held online last Saturday evening. The fellowship was on "An Unknown God" from Acts 17:23. At least 850 people attended, and we got immediate feedback from 17 gospel friends, 3 of whom expressed the desire to be baptized. Praise the Lord! Please pray for all the follow-ups.

FTTA

"Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36). The virtual graduation for the FTTA Spring Class of 2021 is this Saturday, July 3 at 10:00 am, followed by a recognition of the FTTA-XB (Boston Extension) at 12:00 pm. The video links will be at http://www.ftta.org. Please pray for:

  1. The Lord's leading of all 90 FTTA trainees and 16 FTTA-XB trainees who are graduating to follow the Lamb wherever He may go.
  2. The Lord to increase our number by sending 120 first-term FTTA trainees to Anaheim and 20 FTTA-XB trainees to Boston for the Fall term.

FTTL

The graduation of the Full-time Training in London is also on Saturday, July 3. Praise the Lord that despite the pandemic, the training has been able to continue, and this term 22 trainees are graduating. Please pray for these ones to be useful, living functioning members of the body and at least 20 new first term trainees from the UK and Europe to begin next term.

Furthermore, Amana Trust is in the process of applying to become a sponsor for a new two-year, multi-trip visa which will be ideal for those from outside the UK and Ireland who would like to attend the FTTL. Please pray that Amana Trust would be granted this sponsorship status and that this could be processed in a timely way so the trainees can begin to use it for the coming term. Also pray that each individual trainee would be covered throughout their visa application process.

European YP Conference

This year's European Young People's Conference in late July and early August will cover "Patterns of Living an Overcoming Life." It will be held regionally in person if the situation allows, or online where it is not possible to meet in person. Please pray for the Lord to release the registrations and bless all the fellowship and practical coordination related to this conference.

Bangladesh

Please pray for:

  1. The translation work and more translators to be raised up to cooperate with the Lord to release His riches; also pray for the saints to redeem the time to enter into His riches and experience Him.
  2. The saints to establish a life of morning revival, prayer, Bible-reading and gospel preaching and become vital members in the church life.
  3. The spiritual atmosphere of the online perfecting meetings to be strengthened and for more saints to join this meeting and be perfected in truth.
  4. The release of visas for the overseas saints.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 4 of Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life (ITERO).
  2. North America Chinese-speaking Perfecting Training is online from July 24 to 31. Any interested saints from Los Angeles may register until July 11 at http://tinyurl.com/bd3ny3fc.
  3. Summer School of Truth concluded last weekend. Videos are posted at http://scyp.com/ssot2021.
  4. Holy Bible Recovery Version App is the official app from Living Stream Ministry that contains the Recovery Version of the Holy Bible in English with its enlightening footnotes, valuable cross-references, and useful charts and maps. For more information, go to http://www.lsm.org/rvapp.html.
  5. Living Stream Ministry has launched a digital newsletter called "Having This Ministry…" To learn more and subscribe, go to http://newsletters.lsm.org/having-this-ministry/index.html.
  6. FTTA Middle-Age Training is pleased to announce that the 2021 Fall semester begins on August 30. For details, visit http://fttamidage.org.
  7. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

Prayer, Week of June 20

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The Universal Fellowship of the Body of Christ

"And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42)

"...The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ? Seeing that there is one bread, we who are many are one Body; for we all partake of the one bread." (1 Cor. 10:16-17)

The churches in different localities are for the universal expression of Christ. Local churches are the procedure God takes to reach the goal of His economy—the Body of Christ. Among all the churches that compose the one universal Body of Christ, there is no organization, but there is the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Fellowship is related to oneness; the circulation of the divine life in the Body brings all the members of the Body into oneness. (Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life, msg. 3, II.G, H.1, III.C, C.2)

Therefore, this universal fellowship is the fellowship of the Body of Christ. It is the fellowship passed on to us by the apostles. Hence, it is the apostles' fellowship, and this fellowship is with the Triune God. Such a fellowship must be universal. In administration the churches are separate locally, but in fellowship they are united to be one universally. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, "Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life," pp. 493, 495-496)

July Semiannual Training

The July Semiannual Training will begin on July 5. The books to be crystallized in this training are Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. Please pray according to this word written by one of the ministering brothers:

"The 12 messages will not be mere summaries of the Life-study messages on these books but will release light, life, and truth regarding the mysterious intrinsic significance of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. The writing of the outlines involved intense spiritual warfare. This indicates two matters: (1) that the enemy is opposed to the content of these 12 training messages and fights against them; (2) that this training is of great importance in the eyes of God, for these messages will enable the saints to experience and enjoy the all-inclusive Christ, to do the will of the Father in their life and service, to become in Christ those who will conquer the satanic chaos by the victory of Christ and accomplish the divine economy for the new creation, and to take the way of life in reality for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ. This training will be a special blessing to all those who are willing to pay whatever price the Lord requires for us to be trained, matured in life, and fully prepared to be the prepared bride of Christ, loving His appearing and longing for His coming."

California Summer School of Truth

This year's SSOT from June 12 to 26 is currently being held online for all of the saints in the state of California. Thank the Lord for a wonderful first week; we are looking forward to the Lord's speaking in the second week. We are grateful to the Lord for this opportunity that our YP could develop a taste for the truths we have inherited in the Lord's recovery. In LA, we have already enjoyed a few in-person activities. We look forward to a corporate gathering this Saturday at Hall 2 to conclude the SSOT.

Please continue to pray that:

  1. The hearts of the young people would be good ground for the Lord's word;
  2. The group fellowship times would be cherishing and nourishing to minister life, practical help, and experiential impressions to the young ones;
  3. The Lord would supply the serving ones as they shepherd the YP and coordinate various activities.

SoCal Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting

The Southern California Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting will be held online this Saturday, June 26, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Zoom ID: 843 2558 0468). The fellowship is on "An Unknown God" (Acts 17:23).

Please pray that:

  1. All southern California Chinese-speaking saints would cooperate with the Lord for the spreading of the gospel; receive the burden to pray for their unsaved relatives, friends, and neighbors; and boldly invite them to this gospel meeting;
  2. God would prepare the hearts of all participants as good earth, and the gospel friends could see God when they hear His words.

North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training

The 2021 North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training will be held online from July 24 to 31. This training is a special time for all Chinese-speaking saints, and the burden is based on the ministry book The Ten Great Critical 'Ones' for the Building Up of the Body of Christ. Any interested saints from Los Angeles may register until July 11 at http://tinyurl.com/bd3ny3fc.

Saints who need to work during the training can also register if they could attend all training sessions on both weekends, weekday evenings, all sessions on non-working days, and catch up with the other sessions by watching the video recordings.

There will be an open session to all saints with English translation on the Lord's Day, July 25, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm (PDT).

Please pray that as many Chinese-speaking saints as possible would be open to the Lord, seize the opportunity, and consecrate themselves and their time to register for this training.

FTTA

We are thankful to the Lord and to the churches that we have been able to continue the training remotely for these past 15 months. As we resume the training in person this August, we would like to enter into the term in much prayer and according to the Lord's leading.

The following verse and footnote express our desire: "Thus says the Lord Jehovah, moreover for this I will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock" (Ezek. 36:37). The footnote on inquired reads, "The Lord promised to increase our number with men like a flock, but we need to pray for this and ask Him to do it."

As the Lord leads you, please join us in prayer in asking Him to increase our number by sending 120 first-term FTTA trainees to Anaheim and 20 FTTA-XB trainees to Boston for Fall 2021!

European Parents Conference

We warmly invite parents and burdened saints to participate in a time of fellowship from June 25 to 27 concerning the raising up of the next generation for the church life. This online conference will have five messages on "Vital Factors in Caring for Children and Young People According to God's Economy." Included in this weekend will be a special afternoon family meeting for the whole family to see other children and families, and enter into the burden of having a regular family time. We will not have a separate family or children's conference. For more information and registration, visit http://epcconference.eu.

Please pray for this conference and for the care for our children and young people. May the Lord use this special time to raise up many young people who would cooperate with the Lord to turn this age.

Turkey

Pray for the Turkish people, especially the saints' contacts and spiritual book readers, that they can be enlightened by the Lord and have a spirit of wisdom and revelation, being saved from religion and darkness and entering into the fellowship of the Body.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 3 of Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life (ITERO).
  2. Holy Bible Recovery Version App is the official app from Living Stream Ministry that contains the Recovery Version of the Holy Bible in English with its enlightening footnotes, valuable cross-references, and useful charts and maps. For more information, go to http://www.lsm.org/rvapp.html.
  3. Living Stream Ministry has launched a digital newsletter called "Having This Ministry..." To learn more and subscribe, go to http://newsletters.lsm.org/having-this-ministry/index.html.
  4. FTTA Middle-Age Training is pleased to announce that the 2021 Fall semester begins on August 30. For details, visit http://fttamidage.org.
  5. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.