From Earthen Vessels to Children of Light
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.” (2 Cor. 4:7)
“For you were once darkness but are now light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8)
Through the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the Christ of glory as the excellent treasure is received by the believers; now the shining reality of Christ, the embodiment and expression of the Triune God, is the treasure within us. This priceless treasure has made us, the earthen vessels, ministers of the new covenant with a priceless ministry. This is by the divine power in resurrection. The excellency of this power is surely of God and not out of us.
As God is light, so we, the children of God, are children of light. We are not only children of light—we are light itself; we are light because we are one with God in the Lord. If we walk as children of light, we will bear the fruit described in Ephesians 5:9. The fruit of the light must be good in nature, righteous in procedure, and real in expression, that God may be expressed as the reality of our daily walk. (The Christian Life, msg. 6, III.A, B, V.A-B, D, 1).
Please pray for all the saints to enter into their priceless ministry as shining children of light in their daily walk.
Laboring in Resurrection as a Flock of Shepherds Under Christ
“And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Pet. 5:4)
“But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me did not turn out to be in vain, but, on the contrary, I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10)
Christ is the Chief Shepherd, and the believers are shepherds. As the Chief Shepherd, He must have a flock of shepherds under Him. If we shepherd people apart from Christ, this is not in resurrection but in the old creation; when Christ shepherds through us, our labor is in resurrection. (SoCal Labor Day Conference, msg. 2, III.A.2, B.1)
UCLA Welcome Week
Thank you, saints, for praying for our first Lord’s Day welcome meeting on September 22. We had a phenomenal turnout on campus, much more than expected, and the majority of the students stayed for further fellowship over lunch!
We desperately need your further prayers for the following matters as we head into UCLA’s “Zero Week,” during which all of the freshmen are readily available before classes start this Thursday:
- Welcome Bible study on Wednesday: Connect students and nourish them with some food from the Word.
- Large Group Fellowship on Friday evening: Spirit-filled singing to the Lord, encouraging fellowship, and further shepherding of the students.
- Follow-up contact: Refreshing visitations and one-on-one contact with many freshmen multiple times throughout the week.
- Next Lord’s Day on-campus meeting: Many would endeavor to return with open hearts for our second Lord’s Day welcome meeting (even despite the late football game the night before!).
LA Korean Festival
The 51st LA Korean Festival will be held at Seoul International Park this weekend, September 26 to 29. The saints will be out in the streets of Koreatown on Friday and Saturday, setting up tables to preach the gospel and distribute Recovery Version NTs. Next month, on October 12, we will host a Bible seminar. For the Lord’s move in Koreatown, please pray:
- For the most suitable location for distribution without any obstructions.
- For our gospel table to be filled with joyful volunteers serving together in one accord.
- For the Lord to call and meet the sons of peace He has prepared and who are seeking the church.
- For the Lord to open the hearts of our contacts and acquaintances as we invite them to the seminar.
Paris Chinese-speaking Conference
Praise the Lord for His continued shepherding of the saints in Europe, especially the Chinese-speaking saints. The annual Chinese-speaking conference in Paris, France will take place this weekend, September 27 to 29. Pray for the release of the Lord’s word and the blending among the saints in this conference. May the Lord keep advancing rapidly in Europe according to His desire to obtain the reality of the one new man.
France
“I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be restrained.” (Job 42:2)
With the Olympic Games distribution trips now concluded, there is an urgent need to care for the ones we have contacted over the last five months. So far, four graduates of the FTTA Extension in Boston and two serving families have applied for a one-year visa to live and serve in France. Please pray earnestly:
- That these saints and those who apply after them will receive the needed visas as soon as possible.
- That a number of those who participated in the gospel trips will have the echo of the Lord’s burden in their heart to return to France for one to three months to meet the urgent need of shepherding.
- All reports, as well as more information on migration, are posted at lme.org/reports.html. Saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Madrid House Purchase
In September 2018 a meeting hall was purchased for the church in Madrid, Spain. In March 2021, one of the houses next to the meeting hall was purchased. The church was much blessed by the Lord since these two properties were purchased which enabled the church to experience a quantum advance. They caused the church to increase and the care for saints of all ages prospered, especially for the young people. Having these properties allowed the church in Madrid to take better care of visiting saints, gather all the responsible brothers of the Iberian Peninsula, and serve as one of the European hubs for FTTA gospel trips.
On August 17 of this year, the owner of the other house next to the meeting hall notified us that she wanted to sell and gave us the first right of refusal. The two-story, three-bedroom house is in very good move-in condition and the asking price of €1.36 million (around US$1.5 million) is reasonable. With this additional property, the entire city block will be owned by the church.
On September 6, the church signed a contract with a down payment of €250,000. A second and third installment of the same amount must be submitted by November 6 and January 6, respectively; the remaining balance must be paid in full by March 6, 2025. Please pray for the advancement of the Lord’s move on the Iberian Peninsula through the purchase of this property.
A letter in English, Spanish, and Chinese can be downloaded at lme.org/reports.html. As the Lord leads, saints in LA may participate in giving through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Madrid House.”
Vicenza, Italy
“Greet all the ones leading you and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.” (Heb. 13:24)
Vicenza (vee-chent-sa) is a city in northeastern Italy, approximately 37 miles west of Venice and 120 miles east of Milan. On September 29, the saints in Vicenza will hold their first Lord’s table meeting. Please pray that there will be a strong beginning of the church life in that city, and that Vicenza will be part of the next step of the advance of the Lord’s move in Italy.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 6 of The Christian Life. Next week, we will begin Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1) (from the July Semiannual Training).
- December Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28. Registration for LA saints will open next week.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- 2024 SCYP Parents & Serving Ones’ Fellowship: Saturday, September 28, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm in Fullerton. Translation provided. More information at scyp.com/fellowship.
- SCYP Junior High Conferences: October 11 to 13 in Diamond Bar (sisters) and Irvine (brothers). Registration deadline is September 29.