Being Brought on to Maturity
“Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected, but I pursue.” (Phil. 3:12a)
“…Let us be brought on to maturity.” (Heb. 6:1a)
“Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17b)
Solomon was a man full of natural ability but not a man of life, a man whose wisdom was a gift, not a measure of life. We should not have any trust in our natural being in the things of God; rather, we must learn to reject our natural being and exercise our spirit in everything for the organic building up of the Body of Christ. (Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Kings, msg. 5, III, B)
The Lord within us is aspiring to go on. (Msg. 6, I)
The genuine Christian life is the life of an overcomer. If we have not reached the level of a king in our Christian life, we are still below the proper standard; we may say that we enjoy Christ, but to what degree, to what extent, do we enjoy Christ? God’s complete salvation is for us to be saved in the life of Christ to reign in this life by the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness. (Msg. 12, I, B, D)
Lord, train us to receive Your abundance daily that we may have a rich supply to minister to others for the organic building of Your Body!
Entering into the Ministry of the Age
“Now David, having served his own generation by the counsel of God…” (Acts 13:36)
“For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:12)
In every age the Lord has special things that He wants to accomplish. The particular recovery and work that He does in one age is the ministry of that age. In the Old Testament, Noah had the ministry of that age to build the ark, Moses had the ministry of that age to build the tabernacle, and David and Solomon had the ministry of that age to build the temple.
Jonathan stood between Saul and David. He was one man standing between two ministries. He should have followed the second ministry, but because his relationship with the first ministry was too deep, he could not disentangle himself. It is God’s mercy that a person can see and come into contact with the ministry of the age, yet it is altogether a different thing for a person to take up the courage to forsake past ministries and enter into God’s present ministry.
May the Lord open our eyes to see that as long as we are human beings, we should be Christians; as long as we are Christians, we should enter into the Lord’s ministry in this age. (Crystallization-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, msg. 12, III.D.1-2, D, D.6, 5)
Southwest College Training
This summer, five regional college trainings are being held around the US with a total expected attendance of over 1100 saints. Each college training is five days in length and has high potential for greatly deepening the Lord’s work in the attending college students, especially the incoming freshmen. The title for the college training is “As in the Days of Noah.”
The Southwest College Training, which includes Southern California, takes place this week from July 13 to 17 at Oak Glen. Around 300 saints are expected, including 39 students and 12 serving ones from LA. Please pray that the Lord would flow out in a mighty way to all of the attendees and that they would:
- freshly touch the Lord personally in the morning;
- be ready and willing to exercise their spirit;
- remain healthy and safe, including while traveling;
- endeavor to contribute to the fellowship in small group sessions; and
- be inspired to be today’s Noahs, building the ark to fulfill God’s purpose and turn this age!
Bibles for America
We’re so thankful to the Lord for all His provision in caring for the staff at BfA. As they labor in oneness with our Savior God’s desire to sound out the word of the Lord, your intercession before the throne to cover and sustain their being and their work is treasured more than ever. Pray that they would continue to enjoy the Lord as their source, way, and goal and as the rich supply for their service, and remember their “work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope” in Christ on behalf of His interest.
Brazil – São Paolo Meeting Hall
For many years the brothers serving in the work in Brazil have been praying to the Lord with a view of acquiring a property that could serve the church in São Paolo as well as the work of the Lord in Brazil and even all of South America. Recently, a suitable property was found. This four-story building, which has 18,836 square feet of usable space, could serve as a meeting hall for 500 people with upper floors used for children’s meetings, publication work, and more. The basement also has a parking garage.
The price of the property including needed repairs is US$1,563,600; approximately $800,000 is still needed. A deposit of $60,000 has been made; the rest of the payment will be due in mid-August. In addition to the churches and saints in Brazil, this need is being opened to the fellowship in the Body.
Please pray for the financial need to be met and for all necessary repairs to be completed in a timely manner. As the Lord leads, saints may give through the church in LA designated for ‘Sao Paolo’.
Ukraine
Please continue to pray for the ruling of the heavens over the entire situation and for the Lord to use the shepherding gospel trips to Warsaw, Kraków, and Wrocław, Poland, in June and July to bring many to believe into Christ and lead many newly saved ones into the church life, where they can be perfected to be living and functioning members for the building up of the Body
A reminder from the footnote on 1 Kings 8:48: “No matter for whom we are praying, our prayers should be aimed at the interests of God, i.e., at Christ and the church as God’s interests on earth, for the fulfilling of God’s economy.”
Sri Lanka
Pray for the economic situation to be recovered that the saints would receive the Lord’s abounding grace without shortage and that all the church activities would be intensified without hindrance.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 12 of Crystallization-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, vol. 2. Next week, we will begin a modified morning revival plan based on material related to our upcoming LA Truth School.
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LA Truth School: July 22 to 30. Registration is now open to all YP, serving ones, and parents.
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GTCA: The next virtual tour is July 16, 1:00 pm PST at http://gtca.us and introduces Columbus, OH.
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No Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: Resumes in late August after the FTTA’s summer break.
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A Timely Speaking of Supply: Each week LSM posts a free video from messages given by Brother Lee at http://lsm.org/timely-speaking.html. This week’s message is on “The Spirit Himself with Our Spirit.”
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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.