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Keeping the Faith and Laying Hold on Eternal Life

“I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7c)

“Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold on the eternal life, to which you were called…” (1 Tim. 6:12)

To keep the faith is to keep the entire New Testament economy of God—the faith concerning Christ as the embodiment of God and the mystery of God and the church as the Body of Christ and the mystery of Christ. A proper Christian life involves keeping the faith for participation in the divine riches in God’s economy. The economy of God is a matter in faith, that is, a matter that is initiated and developed in the sphere and element of faith. God’s economy, which is to dispense Himself into His chosen people, is not a matter in the natural realm nor in the work of the law but in the spiritual sphere of the new creation through regeneration by faith in Christ.

We today must fight the good fight of the faith. This means that we must fight for Christ as the embodiment of God and for the church as the Body of Christ. Furthermore, we must not merely fight objectively but fight subjectively, by laying hold on eternal life…

Do you realize that you have been called to eternal life? This eternal life does not mainly refer to blessings in the future. To be called to eternal life does not mean that we have been called to enjoy blessings in heaven. Eternal life should be our life today, a life for our present daily living. By our first birth, the physical birth, we received the adamic life. But because we have been called to eternal life, we should no longer live the adamic life, the natural life. Yes, we must be truly human, even Jesusly human, but not in our natural life. On the contrary, we need to live a human life by the eternal life. We have been called to this life, and now we need to live it. (Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Course, Keeping the Faith…, msg. 3, II.C, V.A-B; Life-study of 1 Timothy, 2nd ed., p. 102)

Heavenly Rule over the United States

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” (1 Cor. 10:26)

“Let every person be subject to the authorities over him, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are ordained by God.” God ordains the authorities over man in order to maintain peace and security in human society so that He may have the time and the opportunity to preach the gospel, to save sinners, and to build the church for the spread of His kingdom. (Rom. 13:1 and footnote 4)

The U.S. elections at all levels of government are Tuesday, November 5. The church takes no position on how to vote. Each saint must seek the Lord about whether to vote and how to vote. As Romans 14:4a reminds us, “Who are you who judge another’s household servant? To his own master he stands or falls.”

Let us labor with the Lord in prayer to bring His heavenly ruling into all the elections that there may be a proper atmosphere for the gospel and the raising up and building up of the churches.

2024 SoCal Labor Day Blending Conference

The co-workers in Southern California are burdened to conduct a blending conference among the saints and the churches during the upcoming Labor Day weekend on Saturday, August 31 and Lord’s Day, September 1. Please set aside these dates on your calendar. The plan is to have two meetings (afternoon and evening) on Saturday and a concluding meeting (with the Lord’s table) the following morning. The specific schedule will be announced later.

The conference meetings will be held in person at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim. A way to participate online will be provided for saints who live too far from the LSM campus or for other reasons cannot attend in person. Because a major purpose of this conference is to carry out the blending among the churches and the saints in Southern California for the reality of the Body of Christ, in-person attendance is encouraged as much as possible. Please note that no childcare will be provided at the MCC.

“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).

Please pray for the Lord’s blessing on all aspects of this conference and for the saints to set aside this Labor Day weekend to be gathered and blended together for the reality of the Body of Christ.

2024 LA Truth School

Our Truth School for the young people begins this Friday, July 26 and runs until Saturday, August 3. The whole church is needed to bear this burden in prayer. This week, let us pray:

  • For a good beginning to our 2024 LA Truth School, and the Lord’s presence at each gathering.
  • For the Lord to anoint the word in each meeting and speak to the hearts of the young people.
  • For the young people to overflow with the enjoyment and appreciation of God’s full salvation.

UCLA Freshmen Orientations

This summer, UCLA is hosting 12 orientation sessions for incoming freshmen. During these two-day sessions, students pick classes and get acquainted with campus life. A big component is a club fair on the first day of orientation, where students can sign up for various clubs that appeal to their interests.

Our club will have a table at most of these orientations in order to meet and connect with new students. Over the years, these orientations have been very fruitful for our labor at UCLA. Please pray:

  • For the Spirit to brood over the incoming freshmen to open them to the Lord and bring them to the table.
  • For our timely follow-up with all contacts to maintain contact throughout the summer and into the fall.
  • For the Lord to flow through our own students and full-timers at the table to minister to the freshmen.

North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training

Following five days of in-person sessions in Cerritos, the perfecting training on “Shepherding According to God” continues from July 24 to 28 at Camp Penuel, New York. Please pray for the Lord to:

  • Strengthen, protect, and prepare the saints who have registered for this training.
  • Cover all the practical needs of the training so that the burden of the training can be fully released.
  • Encourage and perfect the seeking Chinese-speaking saints in the churches in truth, life, and service.

2024 Paris Olympics Gospel Trips

The quotas for participation in the gospel trips have been filled. Praise the Lord! The first set of gospel trips during the Olympics (OL1) are currently taking place from July 21 to 30 in Paris, Lille, Rouen, Lyon, Mertzig (Luxembourg), and Geneva (Switzerland). Please pray:

  • For the beginning of the 50 days of continuous Bible distributions and visitations during the Olympics.
  • That the day-by-day and house-to-house church life among the local and visiting saints will open the way for the Lord to add to the churches, even raising up new districts and lampstands.
  • That the existing churches in French-speaking Europe will be strengthened by the gospel teams.
  • For the Lord to raise up new lampstands in Marseilles, Montpellier, Toulouse, Caen, Nantes, Lille, Rouen, Versailles, Mertzig, and Geneva.
  • That the Lord will cover and rule over any disturbances or hindrances from the enemy.

A special report on the Lord’s move in France and a presentation on migration to serve in France given at the recent July Semiannual Training are at lme.org/reports.html. Subscribe to receive trip reports and testimonies at courantdevie.myflodesk.com; archived reports are at tinyurl.com/2024gospeltrips.

Saints in LA burdened to give for the distribution can do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 3 of Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Course, Keeping the Faith, and Loving the Lord’s Appearing in Order to Receive the Reward of Christ as the Crown of Righteousness.
  2. Bibles for America‘s latest blog post “How Should Christians Respond to the World Situation?” is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
  3. Shepherding Words: Seven new articles concerning Israel in God’s economy have been posted to shepherdingwords.com, a helpful resource in ushering the saints into a view of the present situation in the Middle East according to God’s view in His eternal economy.
  4. Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.