Prayer

Prayer, Week of July 14

Praying to Bring in the Kingdom of God

"Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth." (Matt. 6:10)

"…The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." (Rev. 11:15)

The work of the church is to bring in the kingdom of God. The church bears the responsibility of bringing the kingdom of God to the earth.

The church should pray to bring in the kingdom of God. The coming of the kingdom is not automatic; if there is no prayer, the kingdom cannot come. The prayer of the church is the most effective means of curbing Satan. The church must be the outlet of heaven, allowing heaven's authority to be expressed on earth. Genuine prayer is a joint labor with God to bring His kingdom to the earth and to carry out His will on earth. Hence, prayer is a spiritual battle.

The church needs to utter prayers of warfare in order to bring in God's kingdom and to drive out God's enemy. Such prayer indicates that we are standing on God's side and are opposed to God's enemy. Fighting prayers drive away the power of darkness, bring in God's authority, and enable God to have His will done on earth. Whether or not the kingdom of God can come to the earth and God can rule on earth depends on whether or not we pray fighting prayers, prayers of spiritual warfare. (The Development of the Kingdom of God, msg. 6, III.C,D)

North America College Training

This week, July 14 to 20, the North America College Training is taking place in Champaign, Illinois. In addition to over 1900 students attending the training, some 900 saints are also joining to speak, serve, pray, and care for the practical needs of the students and the training. Here are some prayer burdens:

Please pray for everyone involved and their families; pray especially that they would be protected from any attacks from the evil one in these days of warfare.
Pray for protection from God's enemy—that Satan, the ruler of this world, would have no ground in the atmosphere on campus or in the beings of all those attending the training.
Pray as the Body with the helmet of salvation, especially to fight for the minds and hearts of the youngest and newest ones among us; pray that the enemy would have no ground in their minds concerning any matters of truth or practice.
Pray that the Lord Jesus would appear to each student, and that His appearing would give them a vision; pray that the vision they see of Christ as the real jubilee would result in each student receiving a commission from the Lord to contact their fellow students.

May the Lord do a prevailing work in the hearts of all the attendees to raise up an army of young ones for His move on earth!

Pursue 2019

This summer's special camp from August 10 to 17 in Los Angeles for our junior high and high school students is called Pursue 2019. This week, please pray for:

The practical coordination of the serving ones for this time.
The serving ones to serve the young people in newness of spirit and not in oldness of letter (Rom. 7:6).

Nordic Conference

The annual Nordic Conference will take place July 19 to 22 in Oslo, Norway. This conference is a yearly highlight for the saints in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, as well as from the Baltic States. A small group of saints will take a tour after the conference to three cities in southern and western Norway to visit the local saints and the ministry readers. Please pray for:

The Lord's speaking and rich supply at the conference.
Our gospel contacts who have been invited to this conference.
The post-conference visit to groups of ministry readers who are already known to the saints.
The establishing of contacts with other ministry readers during the post-conference trip.

Romania

In Romania there are approximately 130 saints meeting in eight localities. The serving ones have been concentrating on producing the Life-studies with the view of preparing for the translation of the Recovery Version of the New Testament into Romanian. Please pray this translation work!

Announcements

Morning Revival: Week 6 of The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
Audio/video of June 2019 SoCal Blending Conference messages are at http://www.socalblending.org.
Spanish language radio broadcast: Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 9:30 pm. LA County 100.3 FM; San Fernando Valley and Ventura County 90.3 FM.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of July 7

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Praying for the Formation of God's Army

"Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth." (Matt. 6:10)

Spiritual warfare has its source in the conflict between the satanic will and the divine will; this is a warfare between the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God.

In the Lord's recovery we are on a battlefield engaging in spiritual warfare; we need to see that the formation of the children of Israel into an army to fight for God typifies the New Testament believers' being built up into the organic Body of Christ to fight for God and with God for the carrying out of His economy. (July 2019 Semiannual Training, msg. 12, I.A. and Key Statement 6)

Please pray for the proper and adequate response to the timely word released last week during the semiannual training. May we diligently pursue the growth and maturity in life required for the formation of God's army to protect God's testimony and fight for His move on earth!

Exercising the Keys of the Kingdom

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens." (Matt. 16:18-19)

"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. For whoever wants to save his soul-life shall lose it; but whoever loses his soul-life for My sake shall find it." (Matt. 16:24-25)

Matthew 16 reveals the way to build up the church and also reveals the enemy of the building. Christ, the Son of the living God, builds the church on Himself as the rock, with stones such as Peter, a transformed person. The gates of Hades, Satan's authority or power of darkness, attack the church to frustrate the Lord from building up the church.

The building up of the church depends on the shutting up of the gates of Hades through the exercise of three keys. We need to learn to exercise the key of denying the self. We need to learn to exercise the key of taking up the cross. We need to learn to exercise the key of losing the soul-life. (The Development of the Kingdom of God, msg. 5, I.A,B; II.A,B,C)

Pursue 2019

For the next seven weeks we will have weekly prayer requests for the church in Los Angeles to enter into the burden to care for our next generation, specifically targeting this summer's special camp from August 10 to 17 for our junior high and high school students called Pursue 2019. This week, please pray:

for all of the young people in Los Angeles to register for the camp
for their hearts to turn to the Lord and have the experiences they need to receive the most out of this camp (2 Cor. 3:16-18)

North America College Training

"In this year of jubilee each one of you shall return to his possession." (Lev. 25:13)

From July 14 to 20, approximately 2000 college students, college-age saints, and newly graduated high school seniors from 41 countries will attend the NACT in Champaign, Illinois. Please pray:

That the Lord would sanctify this week unto Him to be a time of enjoying Him as the reality of the Sabbath year, a time of resting in Him and of separation from the world, so that He can bring everyone into the full experience of the jubilee.
That all of the students would be recovered to God as their lost divine possession, their portion, possessing Him by enjoying Him through the Word and by the Spirit.
That the students would live their lives in the age of the jubilee, the age of Christ as grace dispensed into us for our enjoyment by His words of grace, an age of ecstasy for our salvation.

To participate more through prayer, visit http://www.40daysprayer.com to receive daily prayer burdens and updates or http://collegetraining.org/2019/pray.php to sign up to pray 15 minutes one day or multiple days.

Middle America

At the end of the semiannual training, there was a special announcement concerning a growing burden to gain more people in Middle America, which includes the Heartland, the Bible Belt, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Mountain States. From 2020 to 2021, the focus will be on ten cities:

Richmond, Virginia
Charlotte, North Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Memphis, Tennessee
St. Louis, Missouri
Orlando, Florida
Cincinnati, Ohio
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Lexington, Kentucky
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The call is for 300 saints to migrate, including 30 full-timers. Some of these cities already have churches, but need a campus team; others need strengthening. There will be a pre-migration training.

Please pray strongly over the next six months for the Lord's will and the Lord's way to be made known regarding this burden. Pray that by the December Semiannual Training, there will be more clarity concerning the direction. Pray for the Lord to move in and through the members of His body.

Europe

"An Update concerning Europe," distributed at last week's semiannual training, is available at http://www.amanatrust.org.uk/reports. The four-page PDF includes reports from 1) the Balkan countries, 2) the British Isles, 3) the Central and Eastern European countries, 4) the Dutch-speaking areas, 5) the French-speaking areas, 6) the German-speaking areas, 7) the Iberian Peninsula, 8) the Italian-speaking areas, 9) the Nordic and Baltic countries, and 10) the Russian-speaking areas, as well a report on two key factors in the Lord's propagation in Europe—the Recovery Version and training.

India

Please pray for all the preparation for the upcoming October ITERO in Bangalore, that the Lord can head up all the arrangements for the release of His speaking.

Announcements

Morning Revival: Week 5 of The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
Audio/video of June 2019 SoCal Blending Conference messages are at http://www.socalblending.org.
Receive prayer and announcements by email weekly; sign up at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of June 30

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July Semiannual Training

The Semiannual Training on the Crystallization-study of the Book of Numbers is taking place this week in Anaheim and by video in our five halls in Los Angeles. Please ask the Lord to flow out from the speaking brothers. Also ask the Lord to cause all trainees to give heed to the word so that Christ as the morning star may rise in their hearts day by day. May they diligently pursue the growth and maturity in life required for the formation of God's army to protect God's testimony and fight for His move on earth.

Los Angeles Young People

This summer, from August 10 to 17, our young people will have a special camp called Pursue 2019. Registration is now open for junior high and high school students, as well as serving ones. Please pray that many of the young people would give this time to the Lord and that their hearts would be open for the Lord to gain them in their teenage years.

Oak Glen

Oak Glen is our SoCal blending camp, not only for young people but for all ages to use—for conferences, churches, districts, and groups. However, the loan has not yet been fully paid off. To pay the remaining loan and release funds for planned improvements, it is suggested that each giving unit pledge $50 per month through the end of next year. Donations may be given to the church in LA, designated for 'Oak Glen,' or at http://socalblendingcenter.org.

North America College Training

Saints and churches are continuing to persevere in prayer for the upcoming NACT so that the Holy Spirit may move in an unprecedented way in this generation of college saints. To join the forty days of dedicated prayer (from June 11 to June 20, the last day of the training), please visit these websites:

http://www.40daysprayer.com to receive daily prayer burdens and updates
http://collegetraining.org/2019/pray.php to sign up to pray 15 minutes one day or multiple days

Ethiopia College Training

Since last October's ITERO in Addis Ababa, the Lord has opened many doors in the universities in Ethiopia. In December, an invitation to speak to a group of 50 seeking students in the southwest resulted in the word spreading to other universities and a one-week training attended by 500 students. These ones then went back to their respective campuses and shared what they heard with their friends. Many expressed their desire for a longer time of training during the summer.

After much prayer and consideration, there will be a one-week training in three locations this July and August. A total of 2,300 college students from over 25 universities are registered. These students are so eager and full of anticipation. They are ready to pay any price to attend despite the false accusations and slanderous talk they hear against us. Hallelujah!

Please pray for this time and consider giving to support the cost of training such a large number. (The average expense is $105 per person for one week.) Gifts may be given to the church in LA designated for 'Ethiopia College Training.' Through His move in the Body, may the Lord fully gain this group of college students for His testimony and advancement in Africa!

A more detailed report is posted at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.

Announcements

Morning Revival: Enjoy training verses or REPEAT Week 4 of The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life.
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
Audio/video of June 2019 SoCal Blending Conference messages are at http://www.socalblending.org.
Germany & Europe Info: https://churchinlosangeles.org/information-about-germany-and-europe.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of June 23

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Taking Care of Others according to the Spirit

"Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you." (Matt. 7:7)

"For where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst." (Matt. 18:20)

"Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time?" (Matt. 24:45)

As we are contacting people and dealing with them, we must ask, seek, and knock for the proper way to contact them. To ask is to pray in a common way, to seek is to supplicate in a specific way, and to knock is to demand in the most intimate and most earnest way.

The best way for the kingdom people to contact others is according to the kingdom and according to the Spirit. We need to pray ourselves into God so that we may receive the riches embodied in His Spirit to feed ourselves and all those under our care. We must learn to do everything through the cross and by the Spirit in order to minister Christ into others for His Body. (The Development of the Kingdom of God, msg. 4, I.C.1-4)

July Semiannual Training

The Semiannual Training is next week from July 1 to 6 in Anaheim and through webcasts in many localities. Please ask the Lord to prepare the speaking brothers during their labor on the messages. Also ask the Lord to prepare all who have registered to attend, to be good listeners and absorbers of the word, and to fully participate in the morning study times. Lord, make us willing and ready to be further trained and formed into God's army to fight with God for His interest on earth.

Los Angeles Young People

FTTA Graduation

The FTTA graduation will be this Saturday, June 29, 9:30 am in Anaheim. This term 115 trainees will graduate. Please pray for their faithful going on with the Lord outside the training environment, the willingness of many to serve full-time, and their blending into the church life wherever they go.

Let us also ask the Lord to operate in the hearts and situations of many more young saints to apply for the Fall 2019 term, which will begin on August 11. The deadline for U.S. applications is July 10.

North America College Training

http://www.40daysprayer.com to receive daily prayer burdens and updates
http://collegetraining.org/2019/pray.php to sign up to pray 15 minutes one day or multiple days

Bibles for America

A new and improved slipcover for the NT Recovery Version has been designed and is now being used to package our Bibles for distribution. The bold color and large lettering on the front serve as an advertisement for the Bible to whoever may see it, and the wording on the back highlights our online resources. Please pray that this new cover will be used by the Lord to create more awareness about this free gift so many more will order a free Bible. Pray that those who receive a Bible would be eager to open it, and would also be motivated to take advantage of our online resources.

Germany

The NT distribution at the German Protestant Church Festival (Kirchentag) took place this past weekend. About 70 saints of all ages from six localities participated during the event. Of the 6000 Bibles prepared, 5925 were distributed: 5640 German, 220 English, and 65 in other languages. Please pray:

for all the recipients to touch truth and life;
for the seekers to contact Bibles for Europe for further fellowship; and
for the door to remain open for our participation at the next festival in 2021 in Frankfurt.

Ethiopia College Training

A more detailed report is posted at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.

Announcements

Morning Revival: Week 4 of The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
Prayer for North America College Training: at http://collegetraining.org/2019/pray.php sign up to pray for 15-minute time slots; at http://www.40daysprayer.com subscribe to receive prayer burdens and updates.
Audio/video of SoCal Blending Conference messages are at http://www.socalblending.org.
Spanish language radio broadcast: Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 9:30 pm. LA County 100.3 FM; San Fernando Valley and Ventura County 90.3 FM.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of June 16

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The Kingdom and the Church

"Jesus went about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom." (Matt. 4:23)

"The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17)

"I John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus." (Rev. 1:9)

The Bible first presents the kingdom and thereafter presents the church; the presence of the kingdom produces the church. The genuine church is the kingdom of God in this age; today the believers live the kingdom life in the church. We are in the kingdom in reality only when we live, walk, and have our being in the spirit, not in our natural man. The purpose of the vital groups in the church life is to live the kingdom life—the God-man life. (The Development of the Kingdom of God, msg. 3, I, II, II.E, I.D)

Lord, lift up our daily life for our church life. Save us from any kind of emptiness or passivity.

Los Angeles Parents' Fellowship

Please pray for a crucial time of fellowship with the parents and serving ones of all the young people entering 6th to 12th grades on how we can work together to care for all of them in Los Angeles as well as coordinating for the 2019 Summer School of Truth.

Thursday, June 20, 7:30-9:30 pm at Hall 5 (522 S Sepulveda, #203; Los Angeles 90049)

Translation provided for Korean and Spanish

This meeting is on a weeknight, but we pray that as many as possible will be able to come and will make the effort to come.

Daily Prayer for North America College Training

We believe that forty days of persevering prayer in one accord will result in an unprecedented move of the Holy Spirit in this generation of college saints during the upcoming NACT. We ask that you join us in earnest and persistent intercession on behalf of the NACT this year. Specifically, we are having forty days (June 11—July 20, the last day of the training) of dedicated prayer.

At http://www.40daysprayer.com we can subscribe to receive a daily prayer burden and updates.
At http://collegetraining.org/2019/pray.php we can sign up to pray 15 minutes one day or multiple days.

Midage Training

The FTTA Middle-Age graduation will be Saturday, June 22 in Anaheim. Twenty-five are graduating. Pray for the Lord's blessing to them and His leading of them in their living and service after the training. Also pray for many more than 25 to begin the training on September 2, especially an increase in the number from North America.

Southern California Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting

Please pray for the Southern California churches' Chinese-speaking gospel meeting, on Saturday, June 22 at the church in Arcadia meeting hall. Please pray that many will come forward to receive the salvation of God and to be released from the authority of darkness into the kingdom of God.

Germany

The German Protestant Church Festival is held every two years. This year it is June 19 to 23 in Dortmund. Over 100,000 participants are expected, many under age 30. We will have a stand June 20 to 22 to distribute the Recovery Version NT. We will also have three teams outside the fairground to distribute NTs as people arrive. We have prepared 6000 NTs and our goal is to distribute all of them to seeking believers.

Bulgaria

There will be a conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 22 to 23. Pray for the strengthening of the church in Sofia and for the spread of the Lord's move in this part of Europe.

Announcements

Morning Revival: Week 3 of The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
Prayer for North America College Training: at http://collegetraining.org/2019/pray.php sign up to pray 15 minutes one day or multiple days; at http://www.40daysprayer.com subscribe to receive prayer burdens and updates.
Audio/video of SoCal Blending messages will be posted at http://www.socalblending.org.
Summer School of Truth: Please reserve August 9 to 17.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of June 9

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Pursue, Gain, Experience, Magnify the Unlimited Christ

"I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. For to me, to live is Christ." (Phil. 1:19-21a)

To magnify Christ is to express Christ without limitation; it is to show the whole universe that the very Christ by whom we live is unlimited. (The Experience of Christ, msg. 1, I.C)

We have knowledge but we must pursue Christ to gain more of Him and experience Him more. He is unlimited, unsearchably rich, but our experience and resulting magnification of Him is too small. Lord, save us from emptiness; fill us with the experience and enjoyment of Christ in our daily living. "Draw me, we will run after You" (SS 1:4a).

Living the Hidden Life of Our Father

"When you pray, enter into your private room, and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you." (Matt. 6:6)

"Surely You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior." (Isa. 45:15)

The principle of the kingdom people is that they live a hidden life. The kingdom people, who live in an emptied and humbled spirit and walk in a pure and single heart under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, are not allowed to do anything in the flesh for the praise of men but must do all things in the spirit for the pleasing of their heavenly Father. We can never practice living a hidden life in secret in our natural life; if we are serious about being the kingdom people, we must learn to live by the hidden life of our Father. (The Development of the Kingdom of God, msg 2, II., II.B, I)

Lord, bring us into many little experiences of living a hidden life and having times with the Father in secret!

North America College Training

We believe that forty days of persevering prayer in one accord will result in an unprecedented move of the Holy Spirit in this generation of college saints during the upcoming NACT. We ask that you join us in earnest and persistent intercession on behalf of the NACT this year. Specifically, we hope to have forty days (June 11—July 20, the last day of the training) of dedicated prayer on the part of the churches and the saints in the following five general directions:

To fully gain a new generation of college-age saints for God's eternal purpose of Christ and the church—Psa. 24:6; Eph. 1:9-10
To bind the strong man Satan and to plunder his house of young vessels chosen by the Lord for His use—Matt. 12:29; 2 Tim. 2:21
To prepare the hearts, strengthen the spirits, and preserve the health of the saints so that they can partake of the training—Eph. 3:16-17; 1 Thes. 5:23
To grant the serving saints the love, faith, grace, wisdom, energy, and endurance to minister to the young people—1 Thes. 1:3; 1 Tim. 2:1
To rule over all things in the outward environment (weather, transportation, food and lodging, safety) related to the training—Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:22

At http://www.40daysprayer.com we can subscribe to receive prayer burdens and updates.
At http://collegetraining.org/2019/pray.php we can sign up to pray 15 minutes one day or multiple days.

Ministry Digest

Issue 1 is out in English and Chinese; available copies have been distributed. Issue 1 in Korean and Spanish will be published in September, issue 2 for all languages in October. The purpose of the Ministry Digest is 1) to gradually get us into into the riches of the collected works of Witness Lee, and 2) to bring churches and saints into a regular habit of reading the ministry. You may subscribe at http://md.lsm.org.

Oak Glen

At the end of the SoCal Blending we heard an update on Oak Glen. This is our SoCal conference center, not only for young people but for all ages—for conferences, churches, districts, and groups to use.

The remaining loan is $372,000 but we have paid down the loan (to reduce interest costs) by using $2 million from the sale of Engedi that was intended for improvements at Oak Glen. To pay the remaining loan and release funds for the planned improvements, it is suggested that each giving unit pledge $50 per month through the end of next year.

Donations may be to the church, designated for Oak Glen, or at http://socalblendingcenter.org; this website will soon have the slides shown at the SoCal Blending.

Bibles for America

The BfA Blog in Spanish has been relaunched at http://blog-es.biblesforamerica.org. The format has been redesigned to make the content more accessible and readable. In the past, the posts have been read by audiences in the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Ecuador, as well as other Spanish-speaking countries.

Please pray that Spanish-speakers all over the world will continue to discover the blog and receive help to understand God's Word and live the Christian life.

FTTL Graduation

The graduation meeting of the Full-Time Training in London will be this Saturday, June 15 at Bower House. Fourteen trainees from nine nations will graduate. Please pray for the Lord's blessing on the graduates to be useful, living, and functioning members of the Body, as well as for a new crop of first-term trainees from the UK and Europe. Please also pray that the graduates will experience and enjoy Christ, live Christ, pursue Christ, gain Christ, spread Christ, and minister Christ for the building up of the Body and the preparation of the bride.

Announcements

Morning Revival: Week 2 of The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
July Semiannual Training is July 1 to 6. Registration for LA webcasts including payment ($105) is due by June 11 at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
Audio/video of SoCal Blending messages will be available at http://www.socalblending.org.
Summer School of Truth: Please reserve August 9 to 17.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of June 2

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Experiencing the Development of the Divine Life

"His divine power has granted to us all things which relate to life and godliness…He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world by lust. And for this very reason also, adding all diligence, supply bountifully in your faith virtue…" (2 Peter 1:3-5)

The kingdom of God is Christ Himself as the seed of life sown into His believers, God's chosen people, and developing into a realm over which God rules as His kingdom in His divine life.

We need to experience the development of the divine life and the divine nature contained in the divine seed that has been sown into us so that we may have a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom. We should be diligent to pursue the growth and development of the divine life and divine nature for a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom. (The Development of the Kingdom of God, IV.,V.,V.B)

Lord, make us diligent in pursuing the development of Your life and nature!

We Have Not Yet Attained, but We Pursue

"I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ and be found in Him." (Phil. 3:8-9a)

The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is the excellency of Christ realized by us. Christ is excellent in Himself but our realization is limited. We need to have a vision of the preciousness of Christ and the excellency of the knowledge of the all-inclusive, unlimited Christ. (Memorial Day Conference, msg. 5, II.B, B.1)

"Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected, but I pursue....one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize." (Phil. 3:12-14a)

Like Paul, we should pursue Christ Himself and "pursue toward the goal for the prize." In order to pursue Christ, we should not think that we have attained, and we should forget the things which are behind and stretch "forward to the things which are before." (Memorial Day Conference, msg. 6, III, III.A)

SoCal Blending Conference and Weekend Children's Camp

"God has blended the body together…" (1 Cor. 12:24b)

In the blending of the churches we receive nourishment, we receive revelation, and we receive a vision of God's eternal purpose concerning Christ and the church. Such a blending is not only for our own mutual spiritual benefit but is also for the mutual building up of the Body of Christ. (1993 Blending Conference Messages concerning the Lord's Recovery and Our Present Need, ch. 2)

This weekend, June 8 to 9, the Southern California Blending Conference will be held at the Ministry Conference Center (1200 N. Hubbell Way, Anaheim, CA 92801). For the last four years, we have held similar conferences, and each time all who attended were encouraged. This practice of gathering has afforded the Lord an opportunity to speak a specific word for our present need. Bring your personal FM radio for translation into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. The schedule is:
Saturday: 4:00–5:45 pm Meeting 1; 5:45–7:00 Break (no food for sale); 7:00–8:45 pm Meeting 2
Lord's Day: 10:00–10:30 am Lord's Table; 10:30 am–12:30 pm Meeting 3

The Weekend Children's Camp for K–6 will take place during all sessions in Anaheim at 1853 W Ball Rd. Please note: Lord's Day, June 9, there will be no meetings in any of the halls in LA.

Please pray strongly for the Lord to gather all the saints and children for this special time of blending and that He will speak a timely word to meet the present need of all churches in Southern California.

All information, including children registration, is at http://www.socalblending.org. Please register your children byTuesday, June 4.

Semiannual Training Webcasts in Los Angeles

This summer's Semiannual Training (July 1 to 6) will continue the Crystallization-study of Numbers. For those not attending the live sessions in Anaheim, there are multiple webcast locations in LA: three simulcasts in English (Halls 2, 4, 5); one in Chinese (Hall 3); two in Korean (Halls 1, 2); one in Spanish (Hall 1), and one delayed webcast in Spanish (Hall 2). The deadline to register is June 11 ($105). For more information, please fellowship with the registration coordinator in your district.

Ask the Lord to increase our number participating in His speaking to the churches in this training. Lord, make us willing and ready to be trained and formed into Your army!

Prayer for North America College Training

NACT is July 14 to 20 in Champaign, Illinois. 2800 have registered including more than 1900 students from 585 college campuses in 365 cities in 41 nations. The goals of the training are to

supply college students with a vision,
equip them with truth, help them in experience of life, perfect them in preaching the gospel,
develop their character so they can become useful vessels for the building up of the Body of Christ, both during and beyond their college years, and
touch many hearts for FTTA, FTTA-xB, and Europe.

To join nationwide prayer for NACT, go to collegetraining.org and click on Pray. On the prayer page, there are two options: PRAY and COME and PRAY. The first option allows you or you with companions to sign up to pray 15 minutes, any time between 6 am and 11 pm, any day between June 1 and July 20. You can sign up for one day, one day a week, or many days. The second option is for you to come to Champaign to pray with others during the training. Details are on this webpage.

German-Speaking Conference

June 8 to 10 will be the annual Pentecost-weekend conference for the German-speaking churches. We expect a rich feast and the blessing of the Lord in the fellowship and blending among all the saints. Let us pray that the Lord will release new light into each one of us for the building up of the churches.

United Kingdom

The exit of the UK from the EU (Brexit) has been delayed until October 31, but there is another vote in Parliament this week, and a new prime minister will be selected in the coming weeks. Please continue to pray that the Lord will rule sovereignly over this crucial matter for the advancement of His interests in Europe.

Announcements

Morning Revival: Week 1 of The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
July Semiannual Training is July 1 to 6. Registration for LA webcasts ($105) due by June 11 at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
Summer School of Truth: Please reserve August 9 to 17.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of May 26

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Memorial Day Conference Follow-up

The general subject of the Memorial Day Conference was "The Experience of Christ." Praise the Lord for His timely speaking!

The church life is the sum total of our Christian living; we all live Christ, and our Christian living is added together to make the church life. The most important thing for us to do is to experience Christ as our enjoyment today so that the church may be built up for His glory; this is the way for us to be preserved in the Lord's recovery until He comes back. (message 1, I.H, III.E.8 = Key Statement 1)

Since Philippians is concerned with the experience and enjoyment of Christ, which issue in joy, it is a book filled with joy and rejoicing. The experience of Christ is primarily in our spirit, but the enjoyment of Christ is in our soul. The reason that many lose the enjoyment of Christ is the problem they have in the soul; if you do not have much enjoyment of Christ, it indicates that you are not one in soul, joined in soul. (message 1, III.A,B,D)

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." (Phil. 4:4)

"Only, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving together along with the faith of the gospel." (Phil. 1:27)

"Make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing." (Phil. 2:2)

Lord, in all the churches, may what has been spoken become a vision that governs our lives. Lord, deepen our experience of You and save us from the problems in our soul so that we may enjoy You much more and shine brightly with You for Your magnification.

Southern California Blending Conference

Lord, give everyone a hunger to attend this conference, and overcome every practical hindrance.

BfA in Anchorage, Alaska

This summer, as in prior years, the church in Anchorage will give away Bibles and books at the Anchorage Market, an annual outdoor display of Alaskan goods that attracts locals and visitors from all over the world. The distributions will take place on Saturdays, June 1, June 22, July 20, July 27, and August 17. Please pray for the Spirit to prepare the hearts of the attendees and for some to be open to receive the seed of the Word.

GTCA Cities near California – Phoenix

GTCA is the carrying out of the burden to "gospelize, truthize, and churchize" North America. This long-term labor is part of the one, unique work of the Lord to build up the Body of Christ.

Saints began meeting as the church in Phoenix in the 1990s. Today, the average number of meeting in the table and prophesying meetings on the Lord's Day is about 170. The church also gathers on Tuesday for prayer, with approximately 50 participating. In addition to the corporate meetings, there are college student meetings, small group meetings, Chinese-speaking student meetings, language meetings, sisters' meetings, and YP meetings.

The church in Phoenix is currently burdened for: 1) propagating the resurrected, ascended, and all-inclusive Christ by means of districting; 2) forming a full-time team to labor on Arizona State University campus; and 3) raising up full-timers regularly for the Lord's move here and elsewhere.

Düsseldorf, Germany

The annual book fair is Thursday to Monday, June 6 to 10. The church will have a booth to distribute Recovery Version NTs. Last year more than 800 NTs were distributed. Lord, cause the recipients to read, infuse Your truth into them, and bring them into Your present move in Germany!

Laos

Laos is a country of 7 million people in Southeast Asia. Please pray for the proofreading of the translation of the printed ministry into the official language, Lao.

Announcements

Morning Revival: REPEAT Week 12 of Crystallization-Study of Numbers, vol. 2. Next week, we begin The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life.
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
SoCal Blending Conference and Weekend Children's Camp will be June 8 and 9 in Anaheim. NO meetings in LA on June 9. All information, including children's registration, is at http://www.socalblending.org. Serving ones are needed for a number of services; please sign up at http://tinyurl.com/scbcla.
July Semiannual Training is July 1 to 6. Registration for LA webcasts ($105) due by June 11 at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
Summer School of Truth: Please reserve August 9 to 17.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of May 19

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Preparing, Raising up, Shepherding the Next Generation

"This charge I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might war the good warfare." (1 Tim. 1:18)

"O Timothy, guard the deposit." (1 Tim. 6:20) Deposit: That which was committed and entrusted to Timothy, the healthy words that he received from Paul, not only for himself but also for others. (note 1)

The Lord surely loves and cares for our children and young people, and His good intention for them is that they would become the next generation in His move. Throughout history He has depended on the faithful labor of His saints to raise up the next generation, mainly their own children, for the continuation of His divine economy on the earth.

The lessons learned by the first generation [among Israel in the wilderness] surely became part of the heritage passed on to the second generation.

The second generation did not pass through as much as the first generation did, but they received the benefit of what the first generation experienced. I believe that the older generation told the younger generation about all they experienced, enjoyed, and suffered. This speaking was part of the raising up, or the building up, of the second generation. (Raising Up the Next Generation for the Church Life, foreword and chap. 17, sec. 5)

Lord, release the entire spiritual heritage, both enjoyment an suffering, of our older generation for the preparing and raising up of our next generation.

Memorial Day Conference

"The seasons (feasts) appointed by God as holy convocations signify the gathering of God's redeemed people to have a festival with God for His joy and enjoyment so that the redeemed may participate in it with Him and with one another. According to Leviticus 23, there were seven annual feasts. Seven is the number of fullness. The seven annual feasts were in the fullness of God's riches." (Truth Lessons, Level 3, Vol. 2, ch. 8, sec. 2)

This weekend's Memorial Day Conference (May 24 to 27) in Seattle, Washington is one of our seven New Testament "feasts." Please pray that the Lord will take more crucial steps in expanding and enriching our experiences of Christ for the advancement of His purpose.

Many localities, including LA, will be partaking of this time via webcast. Pray that many will give their time to attend these webcasts and to speak with one another after the meetings. Lord, prepare us all to feast with You for Your joy and for our enjoyment with You and with one another!

SoCal Blending Conference and Weekend Children's Camp

The Southern California Blending Conference will be June 8 to 9 in Anaheim. For the last several years, we had similar conferences, and each time all who attended were encouraged. This practice of gathering the churches in Southern California has afforded the Lord an opportunity to speak a specific word for the present need of the Lord's recovery. All the saints are encouraged to reserve this weekend to gather together for corporate blending and to enter into the Lord's present speaking to the local churches in Southern California.

On the same weekend, there will be a wonderful time of blending for the dear children of the saints in the churches at the Southern California Weekend Children's Camp. This gathering is open to children in K to 6th grade; please register as early as possible before June 4.

Volunteers are needed for a number of services; please sign up at http://tinyurl.com/scbcla.

All information, including children's registration, is at http://www.socalblending.org.

North America College Training

Late last week, 2780 of the 2800 spots at the upcoming North America College Training were filled. From Los Angeles, we have 108 saints participating, including 55 undergrads, 3 grad students, and 16 high school seniors. The others are trainees and serving saints. Thank the Lord for what He has done so far. Please continue to keep all of these ones in your prayers!

Bibles for America

Thanks to your effectual prayers, all obstacles to shipping The All-inclusive Christ at low rates have been removed. We are moving forward to make this helpful book available to the public soon. Please pray for many thousands of seeking Christians to learn of this special offer and place an order. Pray that this book will bring more of God's children into the experience of Christ as their rich, all-inclusive portion.

Germany

Nineteen FTTA-XB trainees complete their three-week gospel trip in Germany this Tuesday. Please pray that they receive an enlarged vision and a strengthened burden for the Lord's move in Europe. Please also ask the Lord to continue shepherding all the new contacts through the local saints in Germany to gain remaining fruit for the strengthening of His testimony in Germany.

Malta

A group of saints visited the saints in Malta May 12 to 17. (There were a few prior visits in recent years.) They also had fellowship with a pastor and distributed Bibles at the university. Please pray that the Lord will gain the seekers, raise up the saints, and establish His testimony in this small European country.

Novi Sad, Serbia

On April 28 approximately 130 brothers and sisters from 16 countries gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, a city on the banks of the Danube River. They joined the 11 saints and their children who regularly meet there for the first Lord's table in Novi Sad and in the country of Serbia.

Among all who gathered for this feast, there was a strong feeling that we witnessed and experienced something of the Body. We realized the Lord had found a group of saints who made themselves available to Him for His need in this age. They are open to follow Him according to the present truth as it is revealed in the Bible and in the fellowship of the ministry. May the Lord continue to spread freely with and among the saints in Serbia, in the Balkans, and in the whole Earth.

A short video report is at http://tinyurl.com/y4eylcto; a one-page written report is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.

Azerbaijan

Please pray that the Lord would continue to open the door for the spread of the gospel of the kingdom to gain proper vessels in this country. A couple laboring there will be joined by another couple in July; pray for more saints to receive the burden to come and coordinate for the propagation in Azerbaijan.

Announcements

Morning Revival: Week 12 of Crystallization-Study of Numbers, vol. 2.
Beginning Monday, May 27: REPEAT week 12 to prophesy June 2.
Beginning Monday, June 3: The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April 2019 ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
Southern California Blending Conference will be June 8 and 9 in Anaheim. All information, including children registration, is at http://www.socalblending.org. Serving ones are needed for a number of services; please sign up at http://tinyurl.com/scbcla.
July Semiannual Training is July 1 to 6. Registration for LA webcasts ($105) due by June 11 at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
Summer School of Truth: Please reserve August 9 to 17.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of May 12

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This prayer email is composed from the speaking Lord's Day morning in the joint meeting of the church in LA. Let's pray ourselves into these burdens and have them become part of our living. Let's not discard this page after the prayer meeting. You can also listen to the speaking at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.

Looking Away Unto Jesus to Enter the Good Land (Heb. 12:2)

"Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." (Num. 13:30)

"Let us…run with endurance the race which is set before us, looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith." (Heb. 12:1-2)

The things that happened with the children of Israel in the wilderness are an example to us, for our learning (1 Cor. 10). In Numbers 13 the children of Israel were journeying and ready to enter into the land. The spies went into the land for forty days. Ten returned with an evil report, a report of unbelief (Heb. 3:19), but Caleb and Joshua trusted God's word and were confident that the land could be taken.

Joshua and Caleb had faith, but this did not originate from them. Hebrews 12:2, "Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith." If we spend time with the Author, He writes faith into us.

Another source of faith is the Word. Romans 10:17, "Faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." We need to eat. The Lord is the living bread (John 6:51), the words from the mouth of God are bread (Matt. 4:4), and the enemies are our bread (Num. 14:9).

Most of the giants, the enemies, are not external, but internal. If we look at the giants it can be very discouraging. But when we eat the Lord in His word, we spontaneously overcome the enemies and they become our bread. It is impossible not to have enemies because if we want to possess and enjoy the good land, Satan will not be happy. But the real giant is our fear. We all pass through times of tears but we swallow the giants of bitterness by enjoying the Lord in His word.

Let us be today's Calebs to declare, "Let us go up at once and possess it [the land]." "Only My servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit and has fully followed Me, will I bring into the land which he entered; and his descendants shall take possession of it" (Num. 14:24). Let us do this for ourselves and for our descendants, our next generation. "Your little ones, whom you said would become plunder, I will bring in, and they will know the land" (Num. 14:31).

The Next Generation Entering the Good Land (Num. 14:31)

Joshua and Caleb were part of the next generation. They were part of the generation that came out of Egypt and were on the pathway to the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a full type of Christ. In comparison to Moses, Joshua was a young man (Exo. 33:11).

Moses was taking the lead among God's people. But a time was coming, when someone else would have to rise up. This one was Joshua. But Joshua, a young man, needed to be prepared, perfected, raised up, shepherded. He was prepared and shepherded by an older man, by Moses.

The entire next generation needs the older generation to help raise them up, to care for them, to prepare them to stand for the Lord. This next generation includes those from one month old and upward (Num. 3:15)—our children, young people, college students, trainees, and young working adults.

Caleb and Othniel are examples to show us God goes on and as He continues to move, He needs people, and He especially needs young ones, the next generation who have been raised up, prepared, who have learned, who are ready to rise up in God's time of need.

The young generation needs those of the older generation who have the experience. This is not optional. It's not the conferences or the big meetings or just the select few serving ones. We all need to rise up to care and raise up the next generation for the church life.

For our prayer, our eyes need to be open to see the preciousness of the next generation. With our eyes being open, we would spend and be utterly spent on behalf of their souls (2 Cor. 12:15). As they are trying to live the godly life, they face giants, most of which we did not know at their age. So as the darts are faced by the next generation, we must take care of them.

They do not need our criticizing them, looking down on them, or holding them to a certain standard, but they do need care. They need a supporting, listening ear. They need perfecting. They need to loving patterns in the home life and church life. May we bring this burden to the Lord in prayer.

New Sixth Grade Believers

Thank the Lord for the spirit of learning and the resulting prayer and coordination that raised up care for the sixth graders since last fall. This was supported by the prayers of the church. Nineteen sixth graders from LA and Santa Clarita received the Lord at the conference last weekend.

Please pray for 1) a definite experience of the Lord in their baptisms, 2) development of a habit of reading the Bible with their family, and 3) the Lord's preservation of them to be part of the young generation entering the good land!

North America College Training

The North America college training will be July 14 to 20 on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. The subject is "The Jubilee!". Thus far around 2600 have signed up but there are still about 200 spots open and the final deadline is this Wednesday, May 15. Let us therefore pray that the Lord would release everyone who needs to be there to sign up, especially those who are high school seniors and those who are first time participants. May the Lord fill every one of the 2800 seats!

Oak Glen

The Oak Glen property has been very useful. The sixth grade conference was held at Oak Glen. Our young people conferences, college conferences, and many of the halls have gone there for retreats.

It is very important that we pay off the loan as soon as possible so that we can invest in improvements at the camp. So far the church in LA has contributed about $450,000. The target is additional $250,000 by the end of this year. We open this to the saints, to go to the Lord, and open to the Lord, and to take this opportunity to experience grace in giving. You may give to the church designated for Oak Glen or go to https://socalblendingcenter.org/donate/.

Southern California Blending Conference

This conference will be June 8 and 9 in Anaheim. Meetings will be Saturday 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and Lord's Day 10:00 am with simultaneous children's meetings. Translation will be provided; bring your FM radios. Information is at http://www.socalblending.org.

We urge all the saints to reserve this time to gather together for corporate blending and to enter into the Lord's present speaking to the churches in Southern California. May the God of peace be with all the saints. There will not be meetings in LA on June 9.

More specific instructions will be forthcoming regarding children's registration.

Announcements

Morning Revival: REPEAT Week 11 of Crystallization-Study of Numbers, vol. 2.
Beginning Monday, May 20: Week 12 of Crystallization-Study of Numbers, vol. 2.
Beginning Monday, May 27: REPEAT week 12 to prophesy June 2.
Beginning Monday, June 3: The Development of the Kingdom of God in the Christian Life and the Church Life (April 2019 ITERO).
Audio of the May 12 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/LAnextgen.
July 2019 Semiannual Training is July 1 to 6. Registration for the live sessions in Anaheim is closed. Registration for webcasts in LA ($105) due by June 11 at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
Please reserve August 9 to 17 for the 2019 Summer School of Truth.
Memorial Day Conference will be May 24 to 27 in Seattle. For saints from LA, if you have not yet RSVP'd, please do so at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) and http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children). Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.

by Ruolin Fan

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