Week of January 14
Walking with God
“And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24)
“By faith Enoch was translated so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he obtained the testimony that he had been well pleasing to God.” (Heb. 11:5)
In order to walk with God we must be…one with Him in our thinking, loving, and choosing. As I have already pointed out, it is not easy for one person to walk with another. Suppose, while I am walking with you, I have a different concept from you and say, “Brother, I love you and I want to walk with you, but don’t go that way. Turn this way. I don’t want to go that way.” If I say this, I am not walking with you, I am arguing with you…For you to walk with the Lord implies a great deal: the denial of yourself, the denial of your thinking and your loving, the denial of everything that is of you. It implies that you have given yourself to Him, that you will give in to Him and let Him take the lead. To walk with the Lord is not a small thing. Walking with Him will kill you.
It is not simply a matter of calling on the name of the Lord. It is wonderful and enjoyable to call, “O Lord Jesus,” but what follows the calling? When the Lord says, “Follow Me,” will you follow Him? Will you walk with Him? Never forget that calling is found in Genesis 4 and that walking is revealed in Genesis 5…We must go on from Genesis 4, progressing from calling to walking. Calling may supply you, but it will not kill you. Calling makes you living. However, walking always kills you. But it will also resurrect you. Walking firstly kills you, then it resurrects you to make you so living in enjoying the presence of God. You will be living to the uttermost, not in a natural way, but in a resurrected way. Oh, how we all must walk with God! (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 26, pp. 354, 355)
A New Beginning Together in the Word
As we pursue Genesis together, please continue to pray for all the saints in the church in Los Angeles to be strengthened to read the word and the ministry in a regular way. Also pray for newer and younger ones among us, including those who may not regularly have morning revival yet, to be encouraged to participate more.
FTTA Gospel Trips
From January 22 to February 5, a total of 233 FTTA trainees and former trainees will go out in 36 gospel teams to 23 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, United States, and Canada to join with local saints for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. Please pray that:
- The Lord will blend and build the saints so that He will have the free way to fully bless these trips.
- The sanctifying Spirit will go before the saints to prepare the hearts of those the Lord has chosen.
- The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom will be prevailing and reach all those whom the Lord desires to save.
- Fruit, even remaining fruit, will be borne in each place visited, and the Lord will add to the churches as His testimony in each of these nations.
- The Lord will fully cover the travel, safety, security, and health of all those involved.
For regular updates from the FTTA once the trips have begun, see ftta.org/gospeltrips.
Hall 4 Retreat
This weekend, January 19 to 21, about 75 saints from Hall 4 will be at Oak Glen for our annual retreat. Our burden is that in 2024 we would build up a sweet and pleasant church life like that in the house of Bethany (John 12:1-11). Please pray:
- For the Lord to cover all the practical services, the saints’ health and safety, and everyone’s inward condition so the Lord can have His full way this weekend.
- For all the saints to sit at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word, filling the weekend with the fragrance of loving Him in all the meetings and activities.
- For the newer and younger ones to see and taste the church life and become part of testimony of resurrection life in LA!
Bibles for America
In 2023, BfA continued producing digital resources to help people know God and understand the Bible. We launched a new video, How Do Sins Affect My Relationship with God?, which explains God’s wonderful provision for dealing with the problem of our sins after we are saved.
The BfA Blog continues to be read by many seekers across the globe, with posts reaching over 1.3 million people in 2023alone. The single largest age group reading the blog comprises 18- to 24-year-olds, an encouraging indicator of a hunger for the truth in young people everywhere.
Last summer, we upgraded our Spanish blog to make the content more accessible, adding elements like categories and a search function. The Spanish blog alone reached over 615,000 people in 142 different countries, and we continue to work to reach even more with our Spanish language materials.
Praise the Lord for all He has done and will continue to do! May God’s Word run as never before throughout the US and over the whole earth. Please pray that BfA’s digital resources would continue to help people around the world know God and understand the Bible.
To read the full year-in-review report, go to bfa.org/2023.
UK Building Project
Permission has been fully gained to build a new Full-time Training facility on the grounds of Bower House. This new building will be capable of holding at least 400 full-time trainees. The main room will have capacity for almost 1,000 people, conference style, with wall partitions allowing for 3 subdivisions.
With a small team of planners and construction workers, we have currently begun this work on the new training center. Volunteers from among the churches are also invited to join in the labor. However, we can only go at the speed of the available funds. Our hope is to complete this training center in a little over two years in order to meet the need of the growing FTTL. Please pray that the Lord will provide the necessary funds through the giving of His Body and that any further construction permissions needed from the local government will be granted.
Updated video and written reports on the new training center can be found at amanatrust.org.uk/page/reports. Additional information can be found at amanatrust.org.uk/page/bower-house-bower-farm.
To give through the Church in LA for the new training center, please follow instructions at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings. Designate offerings for “UK Building Project.”
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 2 of our guided reading through Genesis.
- Bibles for America’s recent post, The True Nature of Our Relationship with the Lord Jesus, is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- Paris Olympics: Information concerning gospel trips during the 2024 Paris Olympics is available at amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024paris. Applications are due February 28.
- Upcoming Feasts: The schedule of 2024 conferences and trainings hosted by Living Stream Ministry is available at www.lsm.org/announcements/events.html.
- LSM Radio Programs: Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee is a 30-minute radio broadcast composed of excerpts from Brother Lee’s spoken ministry that focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. The ministry portions are followed by a discussion of the portion presented, including questions and answers. For example, all 134 episodes on Genesis are available for free at www.lsmradio.com/programs/genesis.
- Living to Him has a podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at livingtohim.com/the-living-to-him-podcast.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of January 7
Exercising Our Spirit to Feed on the Tree of Life
"And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow...the tree of life in the middle of the garden..." (Gen. 2:9)
"Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into Me shall by no means ever thirst." (John 6:35)
God created the stomach as the organ for us to receive food and water. In a similar way, He created the spirit as the organ for us to contact Him and receive Him. We would emphasize the fact that to sense and substantiate anything requires the right organ. (CWWL, 1963, vol. 2, "The Living That Fulfills God's Eternal Purpose," ch. 2, p. 232)
The tree of life is the center of the universe. According to the purpose of God, the earth is the center of the universe, the garden of Eden is the center of the earth, and the tree of life is the center of the garden of Eden. We must realize that the whole universe is centered on this tree of life: nothing is more central and crucial to both God and man than this tree. It is very meaningful to see man in the garden standing before the tree of life.
Every morning you should take Christ as your breakfast, every noon you should take Him as your lunch, and every evening you should eat Him as your dinner. You need to feed on Christ at least three times a day. If you do this, the water of life will water you inwardly. You will never be dry. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 11, pp. 140, 142)
A New Beginning Together in the Word
This week the church in Los Angeles begins seven weeks of getting into the book of Genesis for our morning revival material. There are many opportunities for the Lord to move in special ways among us as we dive into this material together, and this needs much prayer. Please pray that:
- All the saints will be strengthened to read the word and the ministry in a regular way, making use of various resources such as Life-study messages and radio programs that are freely available.
- Newer and younger ones among us, including those who may not regularly have morning revival, will be encouraged to participate more.
- Families will take advantage of this opportunity to get into Genesis together—for example, reading a chapter of the Bible together or memorizing verses together during the week.
- Many saints would invite co-workers, classmates, and friends to join with us in getting into Genesis and warmly invite them to come to our Lord's Day morning meetings to hear more about this.
A New Term for Our Students
LAUSD, UCLA, USC, and most schools and campuses throughout LA begin their new terms this week. Please pray that:
- All our students would have a new beginning in the Lord, with the Lord, and unto the Lord!
- The Lord would protect and keep our next generation from the evil one and cause them to grow humanly and spiritually in a healthy way.
- The Lord would flow out through our students to water those around them and flow these ones into the church life!
- That we can immediately reconnect with many contacts from previous terms for face-to-face fellowship and continued shepherding.
SoCal Spanish-speaking and YP Blending Conferences
The Southern California Spanish-speaking conference is this weekend, January 12 to 14 at the Ministry Conference Center (1200 N Hubbell Way, Anaheim). Simultaneously, there will be the Southern California Young People's Blending Conference.
Meetings are Friday 7:30 pm, Saturday 4:00 and 7:00 pm, and Lord's Day 10:00 am. Child care for K–6 will be provided only at the Church in Anaheim District 2 meeting hall; no child care will be provided at the MCC. English-speaking and Spanish-speaking saints are invited to attend all the meetings at the MCC; Chinese and Korean translation at the MCC will be provided only on Lord's Day.
Please pray for the Lord to release some "Marthas" for all the practical services needed during the conference and many "Marys" to attend the meetings with open hearts just to listen to the Lord's speaking and hear what the Spirit is speaking to the churches. May the Lord bless this weekend with His presence, His smile, and His fresh speaking full of life and light!
Bibles for America
BfA has continued giving away physical copies of Basic Elements of the Christian Life, vols. 1-3 to people across the United States. In 2023, we sent out nearly 16,000 sets to people in all 50 states. We continue to hear from recipients how these books have helped them know the Lord Jesus in a more personal way and advance in their Christian life.
For people who live outside the US, 7 of the titles we give away are available to download for free on our website. In 2023, these e-books were downloaded over 313,000 times by people all over the world. Besides the US, the countries with the most number of downloads were India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nigeria. These e-books have also reached many other places including Iraq, where they were downloaded nearly 4,000 times.
Praise the Lord for all He has done and will continue to do! May God's Word run as never before throughout the US and over the whole earth. Please pray that more people would order Basic Elements of the Christian Life, vols. 1-3 and be helped to progress in their Christian life.
To read the full year-in-review report, go to bfa.org/2023.
Bible Distribution in France
Bible distributions in France will take place May 8 to September 10 in many cities associated with the Olympic torch relay and the Olympic games. The goal is to raise up golden lampstands in at least ten key cities. Please petition the Lord concerning:
- His wisdom to the brothers planning these distributions.
- His administration of the earth to bring forth the best environment for our activities in every city.
- Many French people to be open to the gospel, the truth, and fellowship.
- Praying and going from churches around the earth, including from Los Angeles.
For a revised information letter and an application form (due by February 28), please visit www.amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024Paris.
India
Pray for the 50 current trainees in the FTT New Delhi, that the Lord can continue to perfect them for their usefulness. Pray also for the January 2024 term of the training, that the Lord would release 21 new trainees for the 2 years of full-time training.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 1 of our guided reading through Genesis.
- Upcoming Feasts: The schedule of 2024 conferences and trainings hosted by Living Stream Ministry is available at www.lsm.org/announcements/events.html.
- LSM Radio Programs: Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee is a 30-minute radio broadcast composed of excerpts from Brother Lee's spoken ministry that focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. The ministry portions are followed by a discussion of the portion presented, including questions and answers. All 134 episodes on Genesis are available for free at www.lsmradio.com/programs/genesis.
- Living to Him has a podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at livingtohim.com/the-living-to-him-podcast.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of December 31
Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ for the Lord's Coming
"Remember the word which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God has given you rest and will give you this land." (Josh. 1:13)
"Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light." (Col. 1:12)
The general subject of last week's December Semiannual Training was "Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ Typified by the Good Land for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, for the Reality and the Manifestation of the Kingdom, and for the Bride to Make Herself Ready for the Lord's Coming."
We need to live a life of laboring upon Christ, a life of enjoying Christ personally so that we may enjoy Him together collectively for the building up of the Body of Christ as the temple, the house, of the living God. God's will is for us to enjoy Christ; we need to seek to enjoy Christ and experience Him in every situation. When we come to the meetings to worship the Lord, we should not come with our hands empty; our hands must be full of the produce of Christ.
If we want to be overcomers, we need to labor on Christ as our good land, to gain Christ as our enjoyment. The issue of our enjoyment of the all-inclusive riches of Christ as the good land is the church as the temple, the dwelling place of God, and as the city, the kingdom of God. (Msg. 12, II.A-B, D, E, V)
Let us pray for the living word of God to pierce into our being. In this new year, may we all renew and intensify our laboring upon Christ, fighting the battle to redeem the time "today" to gain Him and enjoy Him for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ, the new man, and the kingdom of God, so that Christ can come back to inherit the earth.
Eating the Word of God
"Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word became to me the gladness and joy of my heart..." (Jer. 15:16)
As part of our laboring on Christ in this new year, may we all have a renewed and strengthened desire to take in the word of God as our food day by day. Pray for all the saints to set up Bible and ministry reading schedules for 2024 so that God's word can be constituted into us for His purpose!
2024 ICSC – Prayer and Preparation
The International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will be February 10 to 11 in Taipei. More than 50 saints from Los Angeles are registered to attend. This Lord's Day, January 7, 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm there will be a time of preparatory prayer and important fellowship on Zoom. Saints in LA who will go to Taiwan are strongly encouraged to participate; others, especially those with an interest in international blending, are also welcome to join. The Zoom link will be communicated in each hall.
Please ask the Lord to release many for this gathering and to energize everyone who attends to exercise in the prayer. Also pray for the Lord's anointing on the brothers who will speak. Lord, bring us more into the reality of Your one Body!
Bibles for America
2023 was another record-breaking year for the number of Bibles given away, speaking to the abiding desire in many across the US to read the Word of God. This year, copies of the NT Recovery Version were sent to over 17,000 different cities in all 50 states and 10 US territories. People's hunger for the truth continues to grow, and we're so thankful that we were able to help meet this need.
In 2022, we set a goal of distributing another 2 million Bibles by 2032; thanks to this past year's record numbers, we're on track to meet this goal. In 2023, we gave away more than 215,000 copies of the NT Recovery Version, a 17% increase over 2022 and more than we've ever given away in a single year.
Praise the Lord for all He has done and will continue to do! May God's Word run as never before throughout the US and over the whole earth. Please pray that Bibles would continue to go out without any delays, and that those who receive Bibles would read them regularly and be nourished.
To read the full year-in-review report, go to bfa.org/2023.
FTTA Gospel Trips
Pray for the planning and preparation of upcoming gospel trips, that the Lord would use these trips to many places in the US and around the world to propagate Himself for His church and His kingdom.
Bible Distribution in France
Bible distributions in France will take place May 8 to September 10 in many cities associated with the Olympic torch relay and the Olympic games. The goal is to raise up golden lampstands in at least ten key cities. Please petition the Lord concerning:
- His wisdom to the brothers planning these distributions.
- His administration of the earth to bring forth the best environment for our activities in every city.
- Many French people to be open to the gospel, the truth, and fellowship.
- Praying and going from churches around the earth, including from Los Angeles.
- For a revised information letter and an application form (due by February 28), please visit www.amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024Paris.
Sri Lanka
Please pray that the Lord will continue to bless the churches in Sri Lanka, and that by the saints' preaching of the gospel and shepherding of people, there will be the multiplication of districts and small groups for the increase of the church. Specifically, ask the Lord for the number of saints in the church in Colombo to reach 100 by June 2024.
Furthermore, through the campus work, may many young people be gained to join the full-time training for the producing of more living and functioning members in the Body, issuing in a strong and bright testimony of the Lord in Sri Lanka.
For a full report with photos, see the December 2023 issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter:
- lmasia.org/newsletter/december-2 (English)
- reurl.cc/80ljy7 (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning Revival: One week of our morning revival material on "Eating the Word of God." Next week, we will begin a guided reading through the Book of Genesis.
- SoCal Spanish-speaking Conference: January 12 to 14 at the Ministry Conference Center, Anaheim.
- SoCal YP Blending Conference: January 12 to 14 in Anaheim. Registration at scyp.com/blending.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting will resume in late February 2024.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The December 2023 newsletter features the third part of an interview with Brother Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work along with a report on the literature service in Brazil.
- Bibles for America's recent post entitled "The Deep Significance of the Birth of Jesus Christ" is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of December 10
The Enlarged, Universal Divine-Human Incorporation
"In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." (John 14:20)
"And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." (Rev. 21:22)
We have to see that in the entire universe, there is only one thing that God wants, that is, the universal incorporation of Himself as the consummated God with the regenerated believers. The believers' relationship with the Lord is described by the words union, mingling, and incorporation; union is concerning our oneness in life with the Lord, mingling is related to the divine and human natures, and incorporation is persons indwelling one another, coinhering.
The New Jerusalem is a corporate person, a corporate, great God-man. This corporate person is a couple - the processed Triune God married to the transformed tripartite man. This is the Spirit and the bride being united, mingled, and incorporated together to become one entity. The holy city, the New Jerusalem, is the goal of God's eternal economy. The unique God is eventually enlarged into one city for His eternal enlargement and eternal expression as a great divine-human, universal incorporation. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 11, I, A, V.A, D.3)
Let us pray for all the believers to enter more deeply into the union, mingling, and incorporation with the processed Triune God for His eternal enlargement and expression, the New Jerusalem.
Church in Los Angeles
This past Lord's Day, December 10, the saints from all the halls and languages gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center for our biannual joint meeting. After enjoying the Lord's table together, some rich speaking was released from the recent October ITERO on "Living and Serving according to God's Economy concerning the Church."
Related to their living, the saints were encouraged, in the face of any circumstance that may arise, to "first of all" pray (1 Tim. 2:1). We need to be those who pray in every place, letting go of all the occupying things and lifting up holy hands, without wrath and reasoning (v. 8). Whether the church life is living and fresh and enriched depends on this one thing - that we are being filled continuously with the Spirit. May we be those who are willing, empty, and praying.
Related to their serving, the saints were encouraged to aspire to be good ministers of Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 4:6), realizing that this should be our "real profession." We need to be those who are first nourished ourselves; then we can have something stored up as "honey and milk under our tongue" to "drip" to others (S.S. 4:11). May we aspire to enjoy the Lord in the Word every morning and build up a habit of speaking Christ to all kinds of people daily in season and out of season.
Lastly, through the reporting from some responsible brothers who traveled to Taiwan for a one-week blending trip and from other saints who traveled to Germany for gospel activities, it was clear that the church in Los Angeles is going on in the one fellowship of the Body of Christ. May the Lord continue to bless the church in Los Angeles in life and in numbers as we head into 2024!
Paris Olympics
Gospel trips are being planned for the 2024 Paris Olympics. An 8-minute video of the announcement given during the Thanksgiving Conference is at www.lsmwebcast.com (click on the red rectangle labeled "Reports"); an information letter is at amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024paris. Saints who are interested should read through all the information carefully. An application form is being prepared and will be available soon.
Let us cooperate with the Lord for the spread of His ministry and testimony through this important event. As we each seek the Lord's calling and leading concerning how we can participate, let us pray:
- For the gospel of the kingdom to be preached all over France in 2024.
- For Satan to be bound and for his kingdom to suffer loss.
- That the gates of the New Jerusalem will be open in every direction in France (Rev. 21:13; 22:14).
- For the French people to repent and to receive forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 26:18).
- That during the Torch Relay Christ's triumphal procession will move from city to city all over France.
- That we will be able to distribute Bibles freely in every city we visit and that the distribution will be carried out righteously before God and before men.
- For the church to be raised up in at least ten key cities.
October Gospel Trips - Leipzig, Dresden, Jena
Forty-six adults attended a recent blending meeting of the saints in Leipzig, Dresden, Jena, and the surrounding areas. Through the October gospel trips and the saints' going out regularly to preach the gospel, a number of new ones have been brought into regular times of home meetings and Bible reading. Please pray for the Lord's continued strengthening of the saints in this region, and pray that the new ones would be shepherded into the church life.
Belgium
There will be a conference in Brussels, Belgium this weekend, December 15 to 17. Please pray for the release of the Lord's rich and up-to-date speaking to meet the particular need at this time, and for the blending of the saints for the reality of the Body of Christ.
Chennai, India
From December 3 to 4 there were heavy rains and strong winds continuously in Chennai and surrounding areas. The heavy rains caused a flood and resulted in water-logging throughout Chennai and disrupted daily life. There were 17 casualties and damage to properties.
Among the saints, 21 families were affected in Chennai and 3 families in the nearby localities. Flood water had entered into some of their homes and damaged appliances and furniture; some of the saints' vehicles were also damaged. The saints who are daily wage workers were affected financially as they could not do their job for 3 to 4 days. Brothers are currently visiting these affected saints and taking care of their needs. One family used this opportunity to open their home to their neighbors and share the love of God with them. A sister who was not very regular in the church life testified that this flood has urged her to be more acive in the church life in the light of the Lord's return. We are encouraging the saints to pray, to take care of one another, and to seize the opportunity to preach the gospel to neighbors, friends, and other gentiles.
Please pray that the saints' situation can return to a normal condition as soon as possible, and that they may exercise to care for one another and to preach the gospel.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 11 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- Thanksgiving Conference: Recordings may be accessed at lsmwebcast.com at no charge until December 26. The subject was "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity."
- FTTA: The graduation meeting of the Fall 2023 class will take place Saturday, December 23 at 9:30 am.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
- The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, visit gtca.us.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of December 3
Our Divine Right to Participate in God's Divinity
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten...of God." (John 1:12-13)
"...He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature..." (2 Pet. 1:4)
"Even as He chose us in Him...to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself..." (Eph. 1:4-5)
The phrase participate in means not only to partake of but to partake of for enjoyment. It indicates that we possess something and that we enjoy what we possess. We, the God-men, have the divine right to participate not in heaven but in God's divinity. We all need to realize that we can participate in God's divinity, that is, participate in God.
We human beings were created by God for this purpose. Man was created in God's image and according to His likeness...Now as God-men, those who have been born of God to be children of God, we have the right to participate in what God is and even to become God in life, in nature, and an expression but not in the Godhead.
Through regeneration, we have been graced by God with his divine life...He has put, has dispensed, His life into our being. Since we have been born of the divine life and possess the divine life, surely we are divine persons. For us, God's chosen ones, to be holy is to partake of God's divine nature. Thus, we may participate not only in God's life but also in God's nature. When we partake of God, the aspects of what God is become our enjoyment. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, "Incarnation, Inclusion, Intensification," pp. 214-215; vol. 2, "The God-men," p. 437; The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 64-65)
Day by day, let us partake of God's nature and enjoy all that He is, allowing Him as the Holy One to saturate and permeate our whole being. Wherever we may be, let us remember that we are God-men with the divine right to participate in God's divinity!
Church in Los Angeles Joint Meeting
The whole church in Los Angeles-all halls, districts, and languages-will meet together at 10:00 am this Lord's Day, December 10 at the LA Convention Center. There will be translation to Chinese, Korean, and Spanish via FM radio as well as on Zoom.
Please pray for a healthy attendance and blending, and for the timely speaking of the Lord to shepherd all the saints to develop a proper prayer life and become good ministers of Christ for a proper church life. May the Lord have a breakthrough in us for the sake of His testimony in Los Angeles and for the building up of the reality of the Body of Christ, the preparation of the bride of Christ, and the manifestation of the kingdom of Christ.
Semiannual Video Training Registrations
The general subject of the upcoming Semiannual Training is "Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ Typified by the Good Land for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, for the Reality and the Manifestation of the Kingdom, and for the Bride to Make Herself Ready for the Lord's Coming." For saints in LA, the firm registration deadline to participate in this training by webcast is this Lord's Day, December 10 ($130). Information and registration are at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
Please pray for the release and receiving of the Lord's speaking in this training. May the Lord grant us to treasure these trainings and seize every opportunity to attend them not only to see the intrinsic essence of the divine revelation but also to serve as a proper audience for the unhindered release of the crystals in the Word of God. (For more fellowship on the history and significance of the semiannual trainings, see the April 2022 issue of "Having This Ministry...")
Croatia and Serbia
There are five local churches in the Serbo-Croatian speaking world in the Balkans with approximately 70 adults and 20 children. The sowing through free literature is going well; however, due to the lack of manpower it is not practical to raise up churches. There are many open ones, but the workers are few. We are currently working on the NT Recovery Version in the BCS language (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian). This project is expected to take at least three more years. Our greatest need, as far as the work is concerned, is more visitation and blending. In Zagreb, most of the saints are quite young; pray that some would eventually go to the Full-time Training.
The cities where there are churches currently are Zagreb, Pula, Split and Hvar in Croatia, and Novi Sad in Serbia. The saints in Zagreb meet together almost every day. We feel that the Lord could spread from that city to other parts of the former Yugoslavia, where we have contacts in every large city. We are especially burdened for the city of Belgrade, which is the largest in the area. May the Lord gain what He is after in the Serbo-Croatian speaking world!
Israel
Please continue to pray for the physical safety and spiritual well-being of the young adults currently serving in the army. Also pray that the people from all backgrounds would hear the gospel and receive the Lord's salvation. May the Lord preserve His interests and advance His move in Israel!
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 10 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing. Next week, after our LA Joint Meeting, proceed to Week 11.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday 7:25 pm.
- Semiannual Video Training: This Lord's Day, December 10 is the firm deadline for LA saints to register for the video training (December 25 to 30) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
- Thanksgiving Conference: Audio and video recordings may be accessed at lsmwebcast.com at no charge until December 26. The subject of this conference was "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity."
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
- The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, visit gtca.us.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of November 19
The Full Ministry of Christ in Three Stages
"Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne." (Rev. 1:4b)
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." (Rev. 2:7)
The unique teaching of God's New Testament economy is the teaching concerning the full ministry of Christ in three stages-incarnation, inclusion, and intensification. In order to work together with God as His co-workers, we need to know, experience, and enjoy Christ in His full ministry in His three divine and mystical stages.
[We need] to consider this matter of intensification and to pray desperately, saying, "Lord, I must advance. I need Your grace to bring me onward. I do not want to remain in the work of incarnation nor even in the work of inclusion. I want to advance from inclusion to intensification. Lord, You have been intensified sevenfold, and I pray that I also will be intensified sevenfold to overcome the degradation of the church that the Body may be built up to consummate the New Jerusalem." (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 9, I, B; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, "Incarnation, Inclusion, and Intensification," p. 197)
Thanksgiving Conference
The 2023 International Thanksgiving Blending Conference will take place November 23 to 26 in Dallas, Texas. The general subject is "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity." The live schedule is below. Please note that listed start times are CST (2 hours ahead of PST):
Meeting 1: Thursday, November 23........... 7:30 PM
Meeting 2: Friday, November 24............ 10:00 AM
Meeting 3: Friday, November 24.............. 7:30 PM
Meeting 4: Saturday, November 25..........10:00 AM
Meeting 5: Saturday, November 25........... 7:30 PM
Meeting 6: Lord's Day, November 26........ 9:30 AM
The six conference messages will be broadcast live at www.lsmwebcast.com. They will also be accessible for viewing anytime after the conference in the "Archives" section without a subscription for 30 days. Outlines are already available for download on the site.
Let us prepare ourselves for this upcoming time of ministry and sanctify these days for the hearing of faith among us. Pray for the release of the Lord's present burden to His recovery in this conference. Pray also that the saints not attending in-person would make use of the online provision to get into the messages, that as many saints as possible may receive this word.
FTTA
The application deadline for the Spring 2024 term of the Full-time Training in Anaheim is Thursday, November 30. Please pray for many college graduates and young working saints to answer God's call to go to the training next term.
October Gospel Trips - Tübingen
Through the gospel trips last month, the Lord brought around 20 students in contact with the saints and many of these students are typical Germans. It seems that the Lord wants to have a new beginning in the church life in Tübingen. On the one hand, the local saints need to be built up together as a corporate vessel to contain His blessing. On the other hand, these new ones need an entrance into the church life. Please pray for the following three matters:
- Student meetings: the coordination among the serving ones, the mutual encouragement among all who attend, and for all our students to be further connected.
- Group meetings: for all the local saints to be blended in the small groups for a meal offering church life.
- Vital groups: for groups of 2s and 3s to be built up together as vital groups to bear the remaining fruit.
Bulgaria
There are currently 22 adult saints, six young persons and two children in the church life in Sofia, Bulgaria. Furthermore, the Lord's testimony in Bulgaria is being strengthened through the blending in His Body and the ministry of the age.
Over the past year, a couple migrated from London and a sister from Berlin moved to Sofia to study at the Medical University. Fourteen Life-studies were printed, so now we have a total of 45 ministry publications available in Bulgarian. The Fall 2023 Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans Conference was held in Sofia from November 10 to 12. Through the Lord's up-to-date speaking and the blending of the saints, it was truly a rich feast for the building up of His Body.
Please pray for the Lord to gain remaining fruit in Sofia through the Bible distribution, Rhema books, and gospel outreach.
For more reports from the Balkan countries, visit churchesceeb.org/reports/2023-reports-english.
Israel
Continue to pray for the physical and spiritual well-being of the young adults currently serving in the army. Pray that the people from all backgrounds would hear the gospel and receive the Lord's salvation.
Cambodia
Please pray for the National Responsible Brothers Training from November 27 to 28. May the Lord gain the brothers' living and service in each locality to be according to God's economy concerning the church and cause them to move forward in practicing the God-ordained way and statistics management.
For a report from the short-term propagation held in August in Cambodia, see the September issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter at lmasia.org/newsletter/2023-newsletter/september-2.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 9 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: NO MEETING this Wednesday, November 22. The ministry meeting will resume at 7:25 pm on November 29.
- SAVE THE DATE: The next LA Joint Meeting-all halls, all languages-will take place Lord's Day, December 10 at 10:00 am at the LA Convention Center.
- Semiannual Video Training: For LA saints, the firm deadline to register for the video training (December 25 to 30) is December 10 at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
- 2024 ICSC: For LA saints interested in attending the ICSC in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024, advanced registration is required through the Church in Los Angeles. More information is at tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA. The registration deadline is November 28.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has helpful fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings such as group meetings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
- The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of November 5
Being Saved More by God's Organic Salvation
"For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled." (Rom. 5:10)
"And those whom He predestinated, these He also called; and those whom He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Rom. 8:30)
It is extremely important that we differentiate between the procedure of God's complete salvation and the purpose of His complete salvation. The procedure is judicial, and the purpose is organic. One who has experienced God's judicial redemption may be considered saved by being redeemed only, but he still needs to be saved more by God's organic salvation in the accomplishing of God's economy. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, "The Divine and Mystical Realm," pp. 101-102)
In the aspect of procedure, that which God has fulfilled according to His judicial requirement is redemption, including forgiveness of sins, washing away of sins, justification, reconciliation to God, and positional sanctification.
In the aspect of purpose, that which God has carried out by His life organically is salvation, including (1) regeneration for us to receive the eternal life of God, (2) shepherding for us to grow and exist in the divine life, (3) sanctification in our disposition, (4) renewing in our mind, (5) transformation in our image, issuing in (6) God's building, (7) conformation to the image of God's firstborn Son, that is, maturity in the divine life, and (8) glorification, which is the consummation of God's eternal economy (Rom. 8:30). (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Organic Aspect of God's Salvation," pp. 378-380)
SCYP Children's Work Conference
The Children's Work Conference this Saturday, November 11 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm is for parents with children under 12 years of age and for the saints who are serving with the children's service. This year's conference will be conducted in a hybrid format with an in-person location in Anaheim. Translation will be provided into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
Matters related to the burden and vision for the children will be covered along with practical fellowship related to raising up the next generation for the church life. The first session will be on "The Work with the Children Being a Work of Preparation"; the second session will be on "The Vision of the 'One Piece' Work to Gain our Next Generation." Please coordinate with the children's serving ones in your hall if you have any questions.
October Gospel Trips – St. Gallen
The saints in St. Gallen, Switzerland are encouraged by the seven saints from the US and Canada who joined them over the two weeks of gospel outreach. From Monday to Saturday, they had a distribution table and banners in the city center. They also went out in twos and threes to contact people in the train station and on local college campuses. In total, around 30 Rhema books, 300 tracts, 50 Stream magazines, and 60 NTs were given out; at least 10 people requested further contact. These numbers may not seem too impressive, but they are tremendous in relation to the small church life in Switzerland.
After the two weeks of labor, four new ones attended the Lord's Day meeting. One brother was baptized in the meeting hall after two appointments. All were very open and are now being shepherded one by one. Thank the Lord for what He has done! Prayer is requested:
- That those who came to the meeting will be remaining fruit and built into the church.
- That those whom we contacted will respond.
- That the Lord may release the young adults from the university and college campuses.
- That saints will have a burden to migrate to St. Gallen for the Lord's move.
CEEB Blending Conference
Today there are approximately 700 adult saints in the eleven countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans countries, meeting in 34 existing local churches and endeavoring faithfully to give the Lord the cooperation He needs and desires for the carrying out of His move in this geographical region before the end of this age.
A blending conference for this region will take place this weekend, November 10 to 12, in Sofia, Bulgaria. The messages will be given in English with simultaneous translation into Bulgarian. The general subject is "Knowing, Experiencing, and Living the All-inclusive Christ." Please pray for the Lord's sweet presence and abundant blessing this weekend, for the blending and rejoicing of the saints together, and for the Lord to advance His move in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
For a report from the CEEB countries, go to churchesceeb.org/reports/2023-reports-english.
Israel
During this difficult time of conflict, please continue to pray:
- That the Lord will be rich to all the saints in Israel, whatever their present situation.
- That the Lord will uphold the saints in the cities close to the conflict and the cities that are experiencing rocket attacks.
- For the young brothers and sisters who are currently serving in the military, that the Lord would preserve them and strengthen their faith in Christ.
- For the saints' unbelieving and believing friends and relatives who live in Israel, that our dear Lord Jesus would lead them to salvation and to knowing Christ in a deeper way.
Laos
Pray for the two-week propagation in Vientiane and Vang Vieng from November 6 to 20, that the local saints and the visiting saints from FTT Bangkok can coordinate for the Lord's move in Laos.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 7 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- Semiannual Training: December 25 to 30 in Anaheim. For LA saints, the video training registration remains open until December 10 ($130) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. The general subject is "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity." Saints from LA who are attending should RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla to receive any pertinent updates.
- 2024 ICSC: For LA saints interested in attending the ICSC in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024, go to tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA for more information; the registration deadline is November 28.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has helpful fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings such as group meetings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
- The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of October 22
The God-man Living
"But you did not so learn Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him as the reality is in Jesus." (Eph. 4:20-21)
"Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers." (Rom. 8:29)
The desire of God's heart is that "the reality...in Jesus," the actual condition of the God-man living of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels, would be duplicated in the many members of Christ's Body by the Spirit of reality to become the reality of the Body of Christ, the highest peak in God's economy.
The four Gospels show the pattern of the life that God desires, the mold of the life that can satisfy God and fulfill His purpose. Jesus lived a life in which He did everything in God, with God, and for God. God was in His living, and He was one with God; this is what is meant by the reality is in Jesus. To learn Christ as the reality is in Jesus is to be molded into the pattern of Christ, to be conformed to the image of Christ.
When we live in the mingled spirit, we are learning Christ according to the reality in Jesus by the Spirit of reality. We learn from Him as our model so that His biography becomes our history. The living of the Body of Christ as the new man should be exactly the same as the living of Jesus revealed in the Gospels. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing, msg. 5, I, A, D)
Semiannual Training Live Registrations
This is the last week to sign up for a live seat at the next Semiannual Training in Anaheim, December 25 to 30. For LA saints, registration and payment are due Tuesday, October 31 at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Registrations for our local video trainings are due December 10.
Let us pray for as many saints as possible to seize the opportunity to participate in this training. May we receive mercy from the Lord to be found faithful in participating in the semiannual trainings so that we may be trained in the divine revelation, be constituted with the biblical truths, and partake of the riches of Christ in the written and interpreted Word for the building up of the church as the radiant testimony of Jesus and the organic Body of Christ. (Past issues of LSM's digital newsletter contain helpful fellowship on the burden for semiannual trainings, the need for training and regulations, and the purpose of training donations.)
UCLA
Thank you, saints, for your persistent prayer during this busy time of outreach at the start of UCLA's fall quarter. We have much to thank the Lord for: there have been experiences of salvation, many opportunities for shepherding, organic connections between students, as well as a sweet coordination among the laboring saints. Please join us in prayer for the following:
- May the Lord continue to gather and connect the students together into small Bible study groups to enjoy the rich fellowship in the word during the week.
- This Friday evening, October 27, there will be a meeting on the UCLA campus for all college students in LA, the first gathering of its kind this school year. Please pray for the Spirit to flow mightily in this time and for a fresh word to be imparted into the students.
- This Lord's Day at Hall 5 there will be a special topic on Morning Revival geared toward new students and younger believers. May the Lord bless this fellowship and blend the students and community saints!
SoCal High School Conferences
The Fall 2023 High School Conferences on "The Lord's Coming" will take place October 27 to 29 with sisters in Cerritos and brothers in Huntington Beach. Please pray for the Lord to gather the young people this weekend for them to hear the Lord's speaking and to be mutually encouraged and built up with one another. Pray for this generation of high schoolers to become "those who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8).
North and South America Korean-speaking Conference
There will be a North and South America Korean-speaking Blending Conference this weekend. The two online sessions are Saturday, October 28 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm and Lord's Day, October 29 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. The Zoom link is tinyurl.com/2023koreanconf.
The speaking will cover messages from the October ITERO on "Living and Serving according to God's Economy concerning the Church." Please pray that the Lord will release His timely words to saturate the saints with the present Christ and the burden from the throne. Pray that all the saints will enjoy the blending in the oneness of the Body of Christ and be filled with Body consciousness.
Germany Gospel Trips - Frankfurt and Heidelberg
The church in Frankfurt and the closely related group in Heidelberg had a good two weeks of gospel. In addition, five other cities where a few saints live were each visited for a day or two. In addition to local saints, others from the US, Western Europe, Russia, Taiwan, and South Korea participated. Each serving day began with singing, pray-reading, reports from prior days, and prayer. Often days ended with dinners for blending of local and visiting saints. The visiting saints also took part in meetings on three Lord's Days.
Each day we went out to a campus and often also to a community location. A total of 1,100 German Recovery Version NTs were distributed plus 137 in English and 71 in other European languages. Some of the languages requested do not yet have a Recovery Version translation.
The Frankfurt team received contact information from 31 people. Please pray for the willingness of these ones to remain in contact, for local saints to rise up and continue the contact begun by the visiting saints, and for in-person times with them to occur in homes or on campus or at coffee shops.
European Brothers Training and Blending Conference
The European Brothers Training to review the messages given at the October 2023 ITERO in Manila will take place October 24 to 27. This will be followed by an International Blending Conference from October 27 to 29. Both will take place in Baarlo, The Netherlands. Please pray for the perfecting and building up of the leading brothers and of all the European saints through the rich speaking of the Lord's word.
Israel
During this difficult time of conflict, please continue to pray:
- That the minds and hearts of the saints will be guarded and protected.
- For the safety of the saints all over Israel, and that none would be harmed.
- That the saints serving in the military will be protected from physical harm and that they and their families will be supplied and comforted.
- That the white horse of the gospel will run in Israel, that many will turn their hearts to God, be unveiled concerning the Lord Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior, and receive Him.
- That the Lord as the Ruler of the kings of the earth would exercise His authority over the situation, manifest His victory over His enemy, and do something to further His economy.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 5 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has helpful fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings such as group meetings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
- Bibles for America's recent post entitled "What Does God Want?" is available at blog.bfa.org.
- The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- SCYP Children's Work Conference: Saturday, November 11, conducted in a hybrid format, with an in-person location in Anaheim. Translation will be provided. Register by November 5 at scyp.com/children.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. Saints from LA interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP by October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- 2024 ICSC: For LA saints interested in attending the ICSC in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024, go to tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA for more information; the registration deadline is November 28.
Week of October 8
God's Central Work - His Building
"That He would grant you...to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith..." (Eph. 3:16-17)
"But the one sown on the good earth, this is he who hears the word and understands, who by all means bears fruit and produces, one a hundredfold, and one sixtyfold, and one thirtyfold." (Matt. 13:23)
Ephesians 3:17 reveals that the Triune God has come into us to do a building work with Himself as the element and also with something from us as the material. This is illustrated by the parable of the sower in Matthew 13.
We have within us certain nutrients created by God as a preparation for His coming into us to grow in us; God has created the human spirit with the human nutrients along with the human heart as the soil for the divine seed. The rate at which we grow in life depends not on the divine seed but on how many nutrients we afford this seed; the more nutrients we supply, the faster the seed will grow and the more it will flourish. On the one hand, God strengthens us with Himself as the element, and on the other hand, we afford the nutrients; through these two, God in Christ carries out His intrinsic building-the building of His home-in our entire being. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 3, II, B, C.1-5)
ITERO
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones was held last week, October 5 to 7, in Manila, Philippines. The general subject was "Living and Serving according to God's Economy concerning the Church." Please pray for the brothers who received the training to bring what they have heard to the Lord in prayer to see and experience these things. Pray for the brothers to be good ministers of Christ to serve the churches according to God's economy.
Blending Trip to Taipei
Twelve brothers from LA are visiting the churches in the Taipei area this week until October 15. Please pray for the Lord's covering and blessing of every aspect of this blending trip and for the brothers to seek the Lord's speaking and leading for the benefit of the churches there and the church in LA.
SoCal Junior High Conferences
The Fall 2023 Junior High Conferences will be held October 14 to 16 with sisters in Diamond Bar and brothers in Irvine. The topic is "The Pearl of Great Value: The Church." Please pray for the Lord to gather the young people this weekend for them to hear the Lord's speaking and to be mutually encouraged and built up with one another. Pray for each junior higher to see a vision of the church and touch the Lord's heart concerning the church.
LA Korean Festival
The 50th Los Angeles Korean Festival takes place this week in Koreatown. On October 13 and 14, we will set up a gospel table at Olympic Blvd and Normandy Ave to distribute the NT Recovery Version and some spiritual books, followed by a Bible seminar. 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.
Israel
Pray for the Lord's interest in Israel and for the ruling of the heavens over the entire situation so that the saints and churches will be protected, Satan will suffer loss, and God's kingdom will advance in the spreading of the gospel and the building up of the Body for the carrying out of His eternal economy.
Germany Gospel Trips
Gospel trips are taking place in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria from October 8 to 22. Please pray every saint participating to be filled with the life-giving, sanctifying, and speaking Spirit and for those people whom the Lord has prepared to come in contact with and respond to us. Pray especially for the contact of university students, including many first-year students, at the beginning of this new academic year. Through these gospel trips, may the Lord gain many students and others as remaining fruit for the spread of the Lord's testimony in these German-speaking countries.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing, vol. 1.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting resumes this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- Semiannual Training: December 25 to 30 in Anaheim. For LA saints, registration is now open until October 30 (live) and December 11 (video) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Past issues of LSM's digital newsletter contain helpful fellowship on the burden for semiannual trainings, the need for training and regulations, and the purpose of training donations.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. Saints from LA interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP by October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla. This site also has an information packet with hotel information and children's registration.
- 2024 ICSC: The next International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will be in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024. Registration to attend the conference and blending trips must be done by locality. For LA saints, go to tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA for more information; the registration deadline is November 28, 2023.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The September 2023 newsletter features a helpful introduction to the 1968 classic, The Economy of God, the first ministry book published by Brother Lee in English in the United States.
- Bibles for America's recent post entitled "What Should I Do When I Sin after I'm Saved?" is available to read and share at blog.biblesforamerica.org.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of September 17
Arriving at the Goal of the Out-Resurrection
“To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if perhaps I may attain to the out-resurrection from the dead.” (Phil. 3:10-11)
“Do you not know that those who run on a racecourse all run, but one receives the prize? Run in this way, that you may lay hold.” (1 Cor. 9:24)
To arrive at the out-resurrection means that our entire being has been gradually and continually resurrected. God first resurrected our deadened spirit (Eph. 2:5-6). Then from our spirit He proceeds to resurrect our soul (Rom. 8:6) and our mortal body (v. 11), until our entire being—spirit, soul, and body—is fully resurrected out of our old being by His life and with His life. (Life-study of Philippians, p. 188)
Paul was desperate. By any means, he wanted to arrive at the goal of the out-resurrection. We all need to have this sense of desperation infused into us. We need to be desperate to attain to the out-resurrection.
This is the only way for the Lord to go on in His recovery, the only way for the Lord to build up His church, the only way for Him to prepare His bride, and the only way for us to bring the Lord back. The unique way is to be conformed to the death of Christ so that we may attain to the out-resurrection from the dead. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Experience of Christ,” pp. 391, 483)
Blending Trip to Taipei
“And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.” (Rev. 1:12)
According to footnote 121: To see anything requires the right position with the right angle. First, the apostle John heard the voice (v. 10), and then, when he turned to see the voice, he saw the golden lampstands. He was rightly positioned, but he still needed the right angle to see the vision concerning the churches; so he turned.
In preparation for the brothers' visit to Taipei during the week of October 8 to 15, do pray for the brothers going to continue seeking the Lord's speaking, and that upon hearing His voice there would be the proper turning to see the vision concerning the churches, especially in Taipei and Los Angeles.
Also pray for the well-being of each brother, that each one would remain physically healthy and strong in the coming weeks and for the entirety of the trip. May the Lord bind any sickness, ill effects from travel, or change in time zone and diet, so that each brother would receive the full benefit from fellowshipping with the brothers in Taipei.
UCLA Fresh Start
Throughout this week we are spending much time together with the students in our UCLA corporate housing to get to know one another, be built up together, and be prepared to participate in the Lord's move on the campus. Please pray that the Lord would give each student a new and strong beginning in the Lord and link them with companions that they can pursue with throughout this year.
UCLA Follow-up
Over the summer, we received more than 300 names and contact information for freshmen who have showed some interest in fellowship with us. These ones will be moving into the dorms throughout this week. Please pray for many profitable face-to-face interactions with these ones including our upcoming Lord's day morning meeting on campus this weekend.
SoCal College Meeting
This Saturday evening, September 23, for the first time in a while, there will be an all-Southern California Praise and Ministry Meeting for college students in Irvine. Please pray for the Spirit to flow mightily in this time and for the word to be richly imparted into the students!
LA High School Bible Clubs
There are a number of high school Bible clubs across LA that our young people have started. The Fairfax High School Bible Reading Club meets on Thursdays with an average of 20 people coming to each meeting. The Venice High School Bible Club meets on Mondays during lunch and averages around 10 members. Los Angeles County High School for the Arts is just beginning a new Bible club this Friday and 25 people signed up to attend the club in this weeks club rush. Please pray that:
- The students would be courageous and proud of showing up to read the Bible.
- The Lord would work in each member (including teachers) to gain them.
- They would see, experience, know, and enjoy the Lord through His Word.
- Each club would have a comfortable environment for students to be fully open!
Lisbon, Portugal
The saints in Lisbon have been meeting as the church since October 2022. The number of adult saints who meet regularly is 20 to 25. The Lord is adding to the church from the local Portuguese people as well as from immigrants from Portuguese-speaking countries. Since February 2022 more than 3,200 copies of the NT Recovery Version have been distributed in the greater Lisbon area. At the beginning of the fall 2023 semester more than 160 copies were given to students at the University of Lisbon; a good number have asked for further contact.
Please pray for the openness of these new contacts, for the strengthening of the small groups, and for the Lord to send more laborers to sow the seed of His Word and care for the open ones.
Germany Gospel Trips
Continue to beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust out at least 100 workers for the gospels trips taking place October 8 to 22 in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Pray that an adequate number of saints from overseas would respond and be released for these trips. Registration deadline is September 29 at bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 6 of Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians. Next week, we begin An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing (July Semiannual Training).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: Saints are invited to attend this week's ministry meeting in person at 7:25 pm at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim or online at www.lsmwebcast.com. The general subject is “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul's Epistles—First Corinthians.”
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. Saints from LA interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP by October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla. This site also has an information packet with hotel information and children's registration.
- December Semiannual Training: December 25 to 30 in Anaheim. For LA saints, registration is now open until October 30 (live) and December 11 (video) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Past issues of LSM's digital newsletter contain helpful fellowship on the burden for semiannual trainings, the need for training and regulations, and the purpose of training donations.
- 2024 ICSC: The next International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will be in Taipei, Taiwan from February 10 to 11, 2024. Registration is required to attend in person and must be done by locality. For LA saints, registration will open next week; the deadline is November 28, 2023. Both the live and archived messages will also be available to view at www.lsmwebcast.com.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.