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Purifying Ourselves to Be God’s Testimony

“And you shall be holy to Me, because I Jehovah am holy, and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.” (Lev. 20:26)

“Now therefore make confession to Jehovah the God of your fathers, and do His will, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.” (Ezra 10:11)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)

After Jehovah recovered His people from Babylon and brought them back to Jerusalem, there was a need for them to be purified from all Babylonian mixture. Ezra not only strengthened and enriched the recovery; he also purified it. Anything we receive that is not holy is a mixture…The recovery is holy, but some of the things taken in are not so holy. Therefore, there is a mixture, and Ezras are needed to purify…We all must learn to give up the things of our background, regardless of how good they are. (CWWL, 1969, vol. 2, “The Recovery of God’s House and God’s City,” pp. 375-376)

To be pure in heart is to be single in purpose, to have the single goal of accomplishing God’s will for God’s glory. If we are pure in heart in seeking God, we shall see God. Seeing God is a reward to the pure in heart. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1480)

Seeing God transforms us (2 Cor. 3:18), because in seeing God we receive His element into us. As we receive God, a new element comes into us, and the old element is discharged. This metabolic process is transformation. To see God is to be transformed into His glorious image to express and represent Him as His testimony. (Life-study of Job, pp. 157-158)

Our Sixth Graders

This past weekend, 107 sixth graders from Southern California went to Oak Glen for the Sixth Grade Conference. The main topic was “Where Are You?” with an emphasis on knowing your sinful condition before God, not hiding from God, and the salvation of God in the Church. Through the messages, singing, and group times each young person realized their need; all were convicted to pray to the Lord for their personal, definite and specific salvation.

From Los Angeles we had 5 girls and 1 boy attend; all six responded and want to be baptized. The saints can pray for these dear “new ones” to:

  • Declare publicly their salvation by being baptized in the coming weeks.
  • Have a healthy and normal entrance into the church life and the practices of a normal Christian.
  • Pray to the Lord just as they are and to develop a healthy habit of reading the Bible.
  • Find companions and home meetings, even this week, to enter into the fellowship of the Body.

NACT

Monday, May 15 is the final registration deadline for this summer’s North America College Training. We still have a good number of students considering their summer plans with such factors as internships, family vacations, etc. Pray that these students would have a clear sense of God’s will in relation to the NACT and have the abounding grace to say “Amen” to His will, paying the price to follow the Lord!

Malaga Meeting Hall

Malaga is one of the main cities in the Autonomous Community of Andalucía, Spain. The churches in Andalucía have over the years produced many young saints who went to FTTA, FTTMx and FTTL. The church in Malaga was established in 1985 as one of the earliest localities of the Lord’s recovery in the Iberian Peninsula. After having been the faithful testimony in that city for 34 years, the church was finally able to purchase a commercial unit in 2019 for their meeting hall.

In 2021, thanks to the grace received from the Body, the church bought a large space on the same floor that was previously occupied by a fitness center. The strategic vision was to step-by-step acquire all the commercial blocks of that floor for our exclusive use of that floor. The view is not only for local needs but for the many events held in the Iberian Peninsula. The brothers also feel that should the Lord lead, the Lord’s recovery would in the future propagate across the Strait of Gibraltar to Northern Africa. In that event, this property will indeed become very useful as a base.

Recently, the last commercial block that can be purchased on the floor became available. Funds that were set aside for remodeling the gym will now be applied to obtaining this block. The sale must close by the end of September. An estimated 500,000 euros is needed to complete the purchase and carry out the needed renovations. Please pray and give as the Lord leads.

A report concerning this property is available at lme.org/reports.html. Saints in LA who are burdened to contribute may give through the Church in Los Angeles designated for ‘Malaga Meeting Hall’.

Italy

This weekend, May 13 to 14, there will be an international conference in Milan. We thank the Lord for the prayers of so many saints and churches throughout the earth, and welcome all the saints to blend with us so that together, as one Body, we might testify of the victory of Christ. Please pray for the Lord to bless this gathering for His further move in Italy, Europe, and the whole earth.

India

At the end of December 2022, the churches in India held simultaneous national trainings for college students, young people, and children’s parents. This was the first time since the pandemic for the trainings to be held again, and the number of college students and young people was double that of previous years. Furthermore, young working saints were invited to serve in order for them to receive the burden of caring for the next generation.

We have seen that the Lord’s work among the young people is apparent and rapid. Not only has there been a breakthrough in number, but the training has also brought the burden of serving the next generation into the church. May the all-sufficient grace of the Lord strengthen all the young people and make them overcomers to turn the age and to be a strong testimony for the Lord in the churches throughout India in the days ahead.

For a detailed report with photos, see the April 2023 issue of the Lord’s Move to Asia newsletter:

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 6 of Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

  2. LA Joint Meeting: Lord’s Day morning, May 21, we will have a meeting of the whole church in Los Angeles at the LA Convention Center at 10:00 am.

  3. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The weekly ministry meeting on “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul’s Epistles” continues this Wednesday starting 7:25 pm.

  4. Free e-Booklets: Living Stream Ministry offers a series of free e-booklets to read and share at www.lsm.org/booklets, including “Life’s Resurrecting—the Need of the Dead.”

  5. Bibles for America’s latest video entitled “How Do Sins Affect My Relationship with God?” is available to view and share at bfa.org/videos.

  6. Memorial Day Conference: Saints in LA who are considering attending in-person sessions May 26 to 29 in Chicago are asked to RSVP at tinyurl.com/memdayla.

  7. July Semiannual Training: July 3 to 8 in Anaheim and by video via Zoom. LA saints may still register for the video training ($130) until June 18 at tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.

  8. LSM Newsletter: The April issue of “Having This Ministry…” contains helpful fellowship on “What Makes a Good Hymn?” Go to newsletters.lsm.org/having-this-ministry.

  9. Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.