Week of October 13
Experiencing the Triune God for the Constitution of the Kingdom
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:18-19)
Into in Matthew 28:19 indicates union, as in Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27. To baptize people into the name of the Triune God is to bring them into spiritual and mystical union with Him. There is one name for the Divine Trinity. The name is the sum total of the Divine Being, equivalent to His person. To baptize someone into the name of the Triune God is to immerse him into all that the Triune God is.
According to Matthew, being baptized into the reality of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is for the constituting of the kingdom of the heavens. Unlike an earthly society, the heavenly kingdom cannot be formed with human beings of flesh and blood (1 Cor. 15:50); it can be constituted only with people who have been immersed into the union with the Triune God and who have been established and built up with the Triune God, who has been wrought into them. (Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1), msg. 3, II.E, 2, F, 1, 2, G.7, 8)
Heavenly Rule over the United States
“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.” (Rom. 13:1)
To be subject to the authorities is to recognize God's authority and to respect His government over man. 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. (Footnotes 3 and 4 on Rom. 13:1)
As the church, the Body of Christ, let us continue to trust in the Lord's sovereignty and cooperate with Him by praying and laboring together with Him for the advance of His economy.
Sacramento Meeting Hall Update
Praise the Lord! As of October 9, a total of $3.45 million was received from the churches and saints around the world. Thank the Lord for the prayers of the saints and the supply in the Body to reach the goal of $3.25 million by the October 15 deadline. This is the Lord's blessing on our oneness in the Body. We appreciate all the support concerning this purchase and would like you to rejoice with us.
The new property will need another $1.25 million for repairs and remodeling work to make it useful for future blending. The offerings that exceed the closing cost of the property will be dedicated to this renovation work. Please continue to pray for this next step.
A video tour of the property is at www.churchinsacramento.org. As the Lord leads, the saints in LA may continue to give through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Sacramento Meeting Hall.”
France – Shepherding Trips
A letter in English is available at lme.org/reports.html concerning an urgent need for short-term shepherding trips to French-speaking Europe to care for the seeking ones who were contacted during the Bible distribution trips. This next stage of the move requires more concentrated, detailed contact with new ones, hence burdened saints are requested to stay for a longer period of time. Please pray:
- For many saints who participated in the gospel trips to return for one to three months to meet the urgent need to participate in follow-up shepherding trips to care for all the new contacts.
- That those burdened to serve full-time in French-speaking Europe will receive the needed visas..
As the Lord leads, saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Middle East
Please pray that recent developments in Israel and the surrounding region will be under the ruling of God's throne so that He will work out the counsel of His will. Pray for the saints there to be strengthened into their inner man, so that they are not shaken by what is happening, but live a life that expresses God and cooperates with God's move.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1).
- Bibles for America's new blog post “What Is the Church according to the Bible?” is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- SCYP High School Conferences: October 25 to 27 in Cerritos (sisters) and Huntington Beach (brothers). Registration was due October 13.
- 2024 North & South America Korean-speaking Conference: Via Zoom from November 2 to 3. Detailed information in Korean can be found at tinyurl.com/2024KoreanConf.
- SCYP Children's Work Conference: Saturday, November 9, conducted in a hybrid format, with an in-person location in Anaheim. Translation provided. Register by November 3 at scyp.com/children.
- Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28 in Anaheim. Registration is open for LA saints at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Registration due October 31 (live) or December 8 (video).
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 28 to December 1 in Atlanta, GA. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- 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 29
Enjoying Christ as the New Wine
“Neither do they put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matt. 9:17)
“For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.” (1 Cor. 12:12)
The new wine here signifies Christ as the new life, full of vigor, stirring people to excitement. When we receive His life, it works within us all day long to stir us up and to excite us. This new wine strengthens us, energizes us, and makes us very happy.
The fresh wineskins signify the church life in the local churches as the container of the new wine, which is Christ Himself as the exciting life. The kingdom people are built into the church (16:18), and the church is expressed through the local churches in which the kingdom people live (18:15-20). They are regenerated persons who constitute the Body of Christ and become the church (Rom. 12:5; Eph. 1:22-23). The Body of Christ as His fullness is also called “the Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12), referring to the corporate Christ. The individual Christ is the new wine, the inward exciting life, and the corporate Christ is the fresh wineskin, the outward container that holds the new wine.
We have Christ in a corporate way as our church life...The church is God's ultimate goal. When we arrive at the church, we are in the ultimate consummation of God's purpose. (Life-study of Matthew, 2nd ed., pp. 323-329)
ITERO and the Gospel
The October 2024 International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones takes place October 4 to 6 in Warsaw, Poland. The general subject is “Living in the Reality of the Kingdom of God.” Brothers in many churches around the world (including Los Angeles) will watch videos of the messages according to different schedules throughout the month. Please petition the Lord for an increase in our living in the reality of His kingdom. Pray also for the travel and health of all the brothers, the release of the Lord's up-to-date speaking, the blending of all the brothers from different countries, and all the practical arrangements at the hotels and the training venue.
Following ITERO, the afternoon of October 6 will be a blending meeting in Warsaw to which all the saints are invited. Lord, bring all who attend further into the experience of Your one Body! Overcome the language differences and release many into fellowship with saints they have never met before! “There is no distinction between [nations, languages, and appearances], for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him” (Rom. 10:12).
The week of October 7 to 13 there will be gospel trips in eight European nations. These will include local saints serving with ITERO brothers and their wives. These gospel trips include distribution of Recovery Version NTs and contacting people with the desire to shepherd them into the church life. Lord, unveil many people and shine into many hearts “to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).
UCLA
Saints, we truly depend on and appreciate all of the prayers for our welcome activities last week at UCLA. We are continuing to enjoy the Lord's blessing of bringing many new students to our events. Looking ahead, now we are entering a crucial phase where we need your continued prayers. As we head into the first full week of classes, please pray:
- For the Lord to bring forward the new students who are truly open to Him and are willing to follow Him as the great light more and more.
- For the forming of Bible study groups where mutuality and nourishment from the Word are fresh and enjoyable to all students.
- For the cherishing, refreshing, and connecting together of the students at our mini-retreat this Saturday.
Sacramento Meeting Hall
Please pray for the completion of the purchase of a new meeting hall property in Sacramento and for the Lord to release the funds to pay the purchase price $3.25 million by the October 15 deadline.
Once the 2.48-acre property is secured, there will be some retrofitting, upgrades and repairs estimated at around $1.2 million for a total cost of $4.45 million. A detailed letter with a brochure of the property is at www.churchinsacramento.org. As the Lord leads, the saints in LA may give through the Church in LA designated for “Sacramento Meeting Hall.”
France – Shepherding Trips
Now that the gospel trips in French-speaking Europe have concluded, there is an urgent need to care for the ones we have contacted over the last five months. In many areas, groups of new ones have begun meeting consistently. This next stage of the move requires more concentrated, detailed contact with new ones, hence burdened saints are requested to stay for a longer period of time. Please pray:
- For many saints who participated in the gospel trips to return for one to three months to meet the urgent need to participate in follow-up shepherding trips to care for all the new contacts.
- For the release of one-year visas for the full-timers migrating to France; so far, four graduates of the FTTA Extension in Boston and two serving families have applied.
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.”
Middle East
Please pray that recent developments in Israel and the surrounding region will be under the ruling of God's throne so that He will work out the counsel of His will. Pray for the saints there to be strengthened into their inner man, so that they are not shaken by what is happening, but live a life that expresses God and cooperates with God's move.
Cambodia
Pray for continual breakthroughs in the young people's work across the country, that the Lord can gain more quality young people who are open to Him. Pray also for the saints to establish a habit of going out weekly to visit people for the gospel and for shepherding.
For report with photos, see the September 2024 issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter:
- lmasia.org/newsletter/2024-newsletter/september-3 (English)
- reurl.cc/7dV9X9 (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 1 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: Due to preparations for ITERO, this week's ministry meeting on October 2 has been canceled. The meeting will resume on October 9 at 7:25 pm.
- December Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28 in Anaheim. Registration opens this week for LA saints at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Registration due October 31 (live) or December 8 (video).
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 28 to December 1 in Atlanta, GA. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- SCYP Junior High Conferences: October 11 to 13 in Diamond Bar (sisters) and Irvine (brothers).
- SCYP High School Conferences: October 25 to 27 in Cerritos (sisters) and Huntington Beach (brothers). Registration is due October 13.
- 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 February 18
Supplanting Hands Becoming Blessing Hands
“And Joseph brought in Jacob his father and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” (Gen. 47:7)
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor 13:14)
Jacob's supplanting hands eventually became blessing hands (Gen. 25:26; 47:7, 10; 48:14-16). In chapter twenty-five we see that Jacob began his supplanting even when he was in his mother's womb. How skillful he was in supplanting! But in chapters forty-seven and forty-eight we see that these two supplanting hands have become blessing hands, bringing people into God's presence and ministering God into people so that they may enjoy Him. Would you have believed that Jacob's supplanting hands could become the blessing hands of a mature person? Here we see the growth and maturity in life. A supplanter, a heel-holder, became the greatest person on earth at the time. He was able to bless Pharaoh because he had become greater than Pharaoh. He became this kind of person by the way of life. We need the growth in life and the maturity in life so that we may be filled with Christ to become those who are able to bless others. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 95, p. 1224)
Maturity in life is a matter of being filled with God as life, and blessing is the overflow of life, the overflow of God through the maturity in life. To bless others is to bring them into the presence of God and to bring God into them as grace, love, and fellowship that they may enjoy the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (14:18-19; Num. 6:23-27; 2 Cor. 13:14). (Gen. 47:7, note 1)
FTTA
The Spring 2024 term of the Full-time Training in Anaheim begins February 18. Please pray for all the trainees to present themselves as open vessels to grow in Christ's life unto maturity. Lord, richly infuse Yourself into each trainee—in their classes and studying, in corporate living, in gospel teams, in service, and in blending with the nearby churches!
ICSC
Please continue to pray for the word spoken earlier this month in the International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference in Taipei to supply and operate in all the saints.
The five messages on “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” are available for free until March 12 at lsmwebcast.com.
Bible Distribution in France
All the saints are asked to consider how they can participate in the Lord's move in France this summer during the 2024 Olympics. Even though the Torch Relay distributions in May and June are already full, there is still the opportunity for 400 more saints to go during the Olympics from mid-July to late August. Saints with some knowledge of French are especially requested, but knowledge of the language is not required since English will be the main language for coordination.
Financial contributions are also needed to support the operation of these gospel trips since there are expenses involved in reserving rooms for coordination, purchasing Bible distribution kits, transporting thousands of Bibles to each city, etc.
Finally, please continue to remember before the Lord this matter of His move in the French-speaking world and in particular the Bible distributions during the Torch Relay and Olympics. Petition the Lord concerning His wisdom to the saints planning these trips, as well as the praying and going from churches around the world, including from Los Angeles.
Saints in LA who are burdened to give for the Bible distribution and other associated expenses can do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.” Updated information and an application form (due February 28) are available at www.amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024Paris.
Ukraine
Please pray that the Lord will protect the tripartite being of all the saints and will rule in the heavens over every aspect of this conflict so that the result will advance His economy on earth.
Vietnam
Please pray for the translation of the Old Testament Recovery Version into Vietnamese.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 7 of our guided reading through Genesis. Next week, we begin a new book, The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity (Thanksgiving Conference).
- Bibles for America's most recent post, How Can We Experience Christ Living in Us?, is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- Memorial Day Conference: The 2024 International Memorial Day Blending Conference will be held in Bellevue, WA at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue Hotel from May 24 to 27. Saints in LA who are considering attending in person are asked to RSVP by April 30 at tinyurl.com/memdayla. More information, including recommended hotels at discounted rates, is available at that site.
- ICSC: Archived messages from the recent International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference in Taipei are available to watch for free until March 12 at lsmwebcast.com.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting will resume next week on February 28.
- High School Conferences: At Oak Glen for brothers, March 8 to 10 (registration due February 25); for sisters, March 15 to 17 (registration due March 3).
- Junior High Conferences: At Oak Glen for brothers, March 29 to 31 (registration due March 17); for sisters, April 5 to 7 (registration due March 31).
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including apps and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The January 2024 newsletter features the fourth and final part of an interview with Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work as well as helpful fellowship on nourishing new ones with the hymns.
- 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.
- 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 17
Becoming the New Jerusalem
“…Come here; I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in spirit onto a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God…” (Rev. 21:9-11)
“He who overcomes, him I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall by no means go out anymore…” (Rev. 3:12)
For our Christian life and church life we need to have a vision of the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is a composition of divinity and humanity mingled, blended, and built up together as one entity. All the components have the same life, nature, and constitution and thus are a corporate person—the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
The Lord Jesus will make the overcoming one in the recovered church a pillar built into the temple of God, which is the Triune God Himself. In Revelation 21:22 we see that in the New Jerusalem the Triune God Himself will be the temple. For the overcomer to be a pillar in the temple means that he will be a pillar in the Triune God. This involves being mingled with the Triune God and constituted with the Triune God.
The Lord makes us pillars by transforming us, that is, by carrying away our natural element and replacing it with His divine element. In the church life today the Lord is making us, constituting us, into pillars in the temple of God. The Lord's work in the church is to work Himself into us as the divine flow to carry away our natural being and replace it with His substance that we may be gradually processed by His transforming element. As the result of this transforming work, we become pillars in the temple of God. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 12, I, Key Statement 4, III, A-B; The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1215)
December Semiannual Training
It is only by having the divine truth in the Word thoroughly wrought into us that we can live and magnify Christ in our daily life, preach the gospel to the unbelievers, and present the truth and minister life to the seeking believers, thereby becoming the prevailing testimony of Jesus, the living Body of Christ. (From June 2022 issue of LSM's digital newsletter, "Having This Ministry…")
Next week's Semiannual Training will be held in Anaheim from December 25 to 30 and by webcast in Los Angeles and around the world. The general subject 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.”
Please pray for the release of the Lord's timely word and burden in this training. Pray for the speaking of the sevenfold intensified Spirit to all the churches and the response of the saints to be the Lord's overcomers to meet His need at the end of this age.
FTTA and FTTA-MA Graduations
This Saturday, December 23 at 9:30 am, the graduation meeting for the 2023 Fall Class of the FTTA, including a recognition of the FTTA-XB (Boston Extension) trainees, will be held at the Ministry Conference Center on the LSM campus. This meeting will also be streamed live at www.ftta.org.
In the afternoon, beginning at 3:00 pm, the graduation meeting for the FTTA-MA (Middle-age) will be held at 1853 W Ball Rd in Anaheim. This meeting will also be streamed live on Zoom.
Please pray for the Lord's leading of:
- All these training graduates—33 FTTA, 2 XB, and 31 MA—to follow the Lamb wherever He may go.
- Each graduate to continue to grow in life and remain under the Lord's perfecting for the normal development of their function in the church.
- Many college graduates, young working saints, and middle aged saints to answer God's call to attend the training in upcoming terms.
European Winter School of Truth
This year's Winter School of Truth will be on “The Two Spirits” and held in the UK and in the Netherlands, December 27 to 31.
Please pray for the Lord's blessing on these truth schools, for the atmosphere during this time, weather suitable for outdoor activities and to bind any illnesses. Pray the serving saints, including the speaking brothers, and all the practical arrangements and especially the groups. May the Lord gain this generation of young people for His interests to meet His need in Europe!
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.
Pakistan
Please pray for the strengthening of the shepherding work in the church in Karachi and that the saints can be raised up through shepherding. Pray also for the Lord's blessing on the propagation work in Faisalabad, that a golden lampstand may be established by the end of the year.
For a 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: Week 12 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing. Next week, repeat Week 12 or enjoy the training verses and content.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The final ministry meeting of the fall term will be this Wednesday starting 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.”
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including apps and 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.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, visit gtca.us.
- 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 26
The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity
“God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9)
“These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11)
“Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (Rev. 19:7)
We should concentrate on Christ as our unique center appointed by God, not on any persons, things, or matters other than Christ; for all the problems, especially the matter of division, the only solution is the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ.
Enjoying the Lord has many aspects—the joy of the Lord's presence, the joy of living in the divine romance, the joy of the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity, the joy of drinking of the river of God's pleasures, the joy of knowing God's love, the joy of doing God's will, the joy of contentment in all circumstances, and entering into the joy of the Lord in the kingdom.
The record of Joseph's life is a revelation of the rulership of the Spirit, for the rulership of the Spirit is the reigning aspect of a mature saint; the rulership of the Spirit (a life of reigning in life, being under the restriction and limitation of the divine life in the reality of God's kingdom) is higher than any other aspect of the Spirit.
The joy set before us is the Lord Jesus, the Bridegroom, coming for His bride, who has made herself ready—the maturity of the bride, the building of the bride, the righteousness of the bride, the beauty of the bride, and the bride being a warrior to defeat God's enemy. (Key Statements, 2023 Thanksgiving Blending Conference)
Pray that the divine riches and burden of the Thanksgiving Conference will enter into all the saints and operate in them for their advancement in the enjoyment of Christ and the growth in life unto maturity.
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 – Stuttgart
We thank the Lord for all the prayers of the saints! During the October gospel trip, we had 4 saints visiting—a couple from Taiwan and two sisters from the US. The Lord granted us a precious time of blending. We focused on contacting freshmen at one of the campuses of the University of Stuttgart and at the city's oldest university, the University of Hohenheim. Around 60 students were willing to give us their contact information, and we are still in contact with over 20 of them. Thirteen have made it at least once to our Thursday night student meeting (average attendance 20 students), 12 of them have been in the homes of the saints, and a couple have already attended the Lord's Day meetings.
Please pray for the further shepherding of all these new ones, that many of them will be gained in a solid way as remaining fruit for the church. Also pray for the students from Stuttgart attending the University Conference in Germany from December 1 to 3.
Germany – University Conference
A conference for the students and young adults in the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) will be held December 1 to 3. The general subject will be “The Universal Warfare.” Many of the new ones who were gained during the October gospel trips will attend. Pray that the Lord will use this conference to impart a heavenly vision of God's eternal purpose to the students that will help to gain them for the church life.
Iberian Peninsula Conference
This year's Iberian Peninsula Conference will take place December 1 to 3 in Torremolinos (Málaga), Spain. Please pray that the Lord would abundantly bless this blending conference with His speaking for the furtherance of His move in Spain and Portugal!
The Netherlands
“I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; on behalf of kings and all who are in high position…” (1 Tim. 2:1-2a)
Last week there was a national election in the Netherlands. The party that won the most seats in parliament is led by a man who has been considered an extremist. However, we know that “there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are ordained by God” (Rom. 13:1b). Let us cooperate with God's ordination by praying for the Lord's recovery to grow and spread in the Netherlands.
Ukraine and Russia
A reminder from the footnote on 1 Kings 8:48: “No matter for whom we are praying, our prayers should be aimed at the interests of God, i.e., at Christ and the church as God's interests on earth, for the fulfilling of God's economy.”
Please continue to pray for the Lord to:
- Keep all the saints in the countries involved open to Him for His divine dispensing.
- Meet all their practical needs and preserve their tripartite beings for His interests.
- Protect His people and His interests in Ukraine, Russia, and throughout Europe.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: REPEAT Week 9 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
- Thanksgiving Conference: All message outlines and recordings can be found at lsmwebcast.com. Audio and video recordings may be accessed at no charge until December 26.
- 2024 ICSC: Tuesday, November 28 is the registration deadline for LA saints attending the International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024. More information is at tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA.
- 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.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting resumes this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- 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.
- 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 12
Reigning in Life
“…Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17)
“And have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10)
“So we who are many are one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Rom. 12:5)
We need to enter into the experience of reigning in life. We were regenerated with a divine, spiritual, heavenly, kingly, and royal life. This life enthrones us to reign as kings over all things.
In experience, to reign in life means to be under the ruling of the divine life. Christ is a pattern of reigning in life by being under the ruling of the divine life of the Father. To reign in life is to subdue all kinds of insubordination. To reign in life is to have our hearts directed by the Lord. Since we reign in life as God does, we become God in life, nature, expression, and function but not in the Godhead.
The issue of our reigning in life, under the ruling of the divine life, is the real and practical Body life expressed in the church life. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 8, II, A-B.1, C, D, E, IV)
SoCal College Conference
This weekend, November 17 to 19, the second fall college conference will take place at Oak Glen. The topic is “Live in Christ” from the book of Colossians.
Please pray for the Lord‘s fresh appearing to each student at this conference. Pray that they may get a taste of the living Spirit and give themselves to walk in Christ for all of their days. Also, pray that everyone would remain safe and healthy, and that all the services would be carried out smoothly for the sake of the ministry of the word.
Thanksgiving Conference
The 2023 International Thanksgiving Blending Conference will take place November 23 to 26 in Dallas, Texas. The general subject will be “The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity.” Furthermore, the six conference messages will be broadcast live at www.lsmwebcast.com from Thursday evening through Lord's Day morning; they will also be available to view after the conference without a subscription for 30 days.
Please pray for the release of the Lord's present burden to His recovery in the conference messages.
Bibles for America
So far this year, BfA has sent out over 191,000 free copies of the NT Recovery Version to people throughout the United States. Many of these recipients have written to us to express their appreciation of the footnotes. Please pray that all the recipients would dive into the Recovery Version and that they would develop a taste for the ministry of life and truth in it.
October Gospel Trips – Berlin
The two-week gospel trip in Berlin reached the three major universities. There are more open and positive student contacts then ever before. At least 54 contacts are open to meet and about 20 are in regular contact and appointments with the saints. The greatest difference this time is the openness of the typical German students. Even German unbelievers have been eager to meet and get into the Bible. One such contact received a recovery version one year ago and has been reading it and feels peaceful when he does. Surely this is a son a peace.
With very few Christian groups active on the campuses we met several Christians who were greatly encouraged by meeting us; some even thought they were the only Christians on their campus prior to seeing us. The Lord has given us a good beginning to the school year and we pray for a strong continuation for the bearing of remaining fruit for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Although we did distribute at least 360 Bibles, our main goal was to establish personal connections with the students. We saw the Lord answer specific prayers and meet specific goals. Hallelujah!
Please pray for the Lord to firmly establish our connections with the new contacts that we can keep laboring on them for the months to come and that they can be an acceptable offering to the Lord. Pray for all the students to be strengthened and encouraged and for the new ones to find their community with the saints, in the church.
Israel
We thank the Lord that none of the saints in Israel have been harmed by the ongoing conflict. Please continue to pray for the physical 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.
India
There are currently 205 churches in India. Please pray for the churches' practicing of the God-ordained way, that the saints can be strengthened with the word and rise up to cooperate with the Lord in the last two months of the year in order to reach the goal for this year in their respective localities.
Pray also for the 50 current trainees in the FTT New Delhi, that the Lord can continue to perfect their usefulness to the Master. For the January 2024 term, let us ask the Lord to release 21 new trainees for the two years of the full-time training.
For a full report, see the October 2023 issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter at reurl.cc/4WDqlY.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 8 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. 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 29
Shepherding in Mutuality
“…God has blended the body together, giving more abundant honor to the member that lacked, that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same care for one another. And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Cor. 12:24-26)
The shepherding that builds up the Body of Christ is mutual shepherding. All of us need to be under the organic shepherding of Christ and be one with Him to shepherd one another. We are both sheep and shepherds, shepherding and being shepherded in mutuality. In mutual shepherding, we shepherd one another in love. Through this mutual shepherding, the church as the Body of Christ will build itself up in love. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing, msg. 6, VII.A-D)
We must learn to minister life to others. In order to do this, we ourselves must have life…In fact, if we have life, there is no need to purposely minister life to others. Life will already be ministered to them. (CWWL, 1973-1974, vol. 2, “The Normal Way of Fruit-bearing and Shepherding for the Building Up of the Church,” pp. 613-614)
May we know and experience Christ as our Shepherd, be filled with the divine life, and be one with God to shepherd according to God for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ!
Our Young People
Thank you, saints, for your prayers concerning the recent Junior High Conference (October 14 to 16) on “The Pearl of Great Value: The Church” and the High School Conference (October 27 to 29) on “The Lord's Coming.”
Let us continue to pray that the word spoken to our young people would abide and operate in them, that they would have the desire to experience the things they heard, and that they would make progress in their Christian life and church life. Pray also for each one to have companions to pursue the Lord with, be part of a small group, and also have older saints who will shepherd them in a regular way.
SoCal College Conference
This weekend, November 3 to 5, approximately 25 saints from the USC area will join around 275 others at Oak Glen for the first of two college conferences. Some of the students coming are very new. The topic is “Live in Christ” from the book of Colossians.
Please pray for the Lord‘s fresh appearing to each student at this conference. Pray that they may get a taste of the living Spirit and give themselves to walk in Christ for all of their days. Also, pray that everyone would remain safe and healthy, and that all the services would be carried out smoothly for the sake of the ministry of the word.
United Kingdom – Autumn University Conference
There will be a conference for university students in the UK from November 3 to 5. Pray that the Lord will gather many students from across Europe to be strengthened and encouraged by blending with one another and by the Lord's speaking. Pray that the Lord will speak a timely word to all the attendees concerning the subject of “Christ Revealed in Us, Living in Us, and Being Formed in Us.”
Leipzig, Germany
Please pray for the first Lord's table in Leipzig on November 5, that the Lord will gather many saints from the many churches to participate, and that this meeting will be a victorious and glorious expression of the Lord's testimony in Leipzig. Hallelujah!
October Gospel Trips – Vienna
Five couples currently meet in Vienna, Austria. Once a month they blend with the church in Bratislava, Slovakia. The blending location alternates between the two cities, a one-hour drive apart.
Only two saints registered for the gospel weeks in Vienna. Because there are no full-timers to guide them, those two were transferred to other gospel cities. But the Lord provided! During each day of the first week up to eight saints informally related to Vienna participated in the gospel. This included visitors and a full-timer from Bratislava. The second week was used for ongoing communication with people contacted the first week.
The gospel time consisted of a day or two at each of three universities, all not far from the homes of local saints. Two hundred NTs were distributed—half in German, half in English. Five solid contacts resulted, including three who received the Lord as their Savior; four of these five are freshmen. Contact with these five continues. Contact information was also exchanged with another five.
The need in Vienna is more couples with open homes, some to serve full-time with campus labor, and some to be students who could invite classmates.
Israel
During this difficult time of conflict, please pray:
- That the Lord will be rich to all the saints in Israel, whatever their present situation, whether they are remaining in Israel or have gone abroad.
- 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.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 6 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
- End of Daylight Savings Time: DST will end in the early morning this Lord's Day, November 5. Remember to set your clocks back one hour before you sleep on Saturday night.
- Semiannual Training: December 25 to 30 in Anaheim. For LA saints, the firm registration deadlines are October 31 (live seats) and December 10 (video seats) 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 interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP by October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- 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 provided. Register by November 5 at scyp.com/children.
- 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.
- 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.
Week of October 15
Blending for the Reality of the Body of Christ
“For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:12)
“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)
The highest peak in God's economy is the reality of the Body of Christ. The purpose of the blending is to usher us all into the reality of the Body of Christ. The reality of the Body of Christ is the corporate living by the perfected God-men, who are genuine men but are not living by their life but by the life of the processed and consummated Triune God, whose attributes have been expressed through their virtues.
This corporate and mingling living by the perfected God-men consummates ultimately in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth as God's increase and expression for eternity. The corporate living of the perfected God-men as the reality of the Body of Christ will close this age, the age of the church, and bring Christ back to take, possess, and rule over the earth with these God-men in the kingdom age. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 4, IV, III, IV.B, C.3-4)
LA Korean Festival
We give thanks and praise to the Lord for leading us to have a gospel table during the LA Korean Festival last week. It was a joyful and encouraging time. The saints were filled with the spirit of the gospel as they distributed tracts and Bibles. We distributed 220 copies of the NT Recovery Version in Korean, 100 copies in English, and 46 copies in Spanish. Forty people gave us their contact information.
Please pray for every Bible recipient, for the follow-up with these 40 people, and for seeking ones to come to our Bible seminar this Saturday, October 21.
Germany Gospel Trips
Gospel trips are taking place in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria from October 8 to 22. In this final week of the trips, please continue to pray that the Lord will bless the saints from abroad and the local saints as they labor together to contact the university students and distribute Bibles in the communities. Pray that many of the people contacted will become remaining fruit, and that the ground will be further prepared for the raising up of new lampstands in various cities.
Israel
During this difficult time of conflict, please 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.
Turkey
The first Turkish ministry book was published in 2014, and 39 titles are now available. Through the Rhema distribution, we have received many contacts throughout the whole country. In the past two years, the saints have frequently visited Rhema contacts in a south-central city called Adana. Please continue to pray for the distribution of ministry books to gain the real seeking ones through the word of the truth. May the Lord strengthen the translation work and spread His ministry in this land again before His return.
For a brief history of the literature work in Modern Turkish, see the September 2023 issue of the LSM newsletter at newsletters.lsm.org/having-this-ministry.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 4 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 continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- Bibles for America's recent post entitled “What Does God Want?” is now available to read and share at blog.biblesforamerica.org.
- 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.
- 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 1
Living in the Divine and Mystical Realm Today
“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)
“At that time two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left.” (Matt. 24:40)
All the saints in the Lord's recovery need to have a clear view, a vision, concerning the physical realm and the divine and mystical realm. We enter into the divine and mystical realm by seeing this realm. In spiritual things to see is to enter. The divine and mystical realm into which we may enter today and in which we may live is actually not simply the divine and mystical realm of the Triune God; it is the divine and mystical realm of the consummated Spirit and the pneumatic Christ.
[In Matthew 24:40-41] the difference between the one who is taken and the one who is left is in the maturity of life. One is living in the divine and mystical realm, and the other is not. The Lord's word [here] shows us that as we are waiting for His coming and expect to be raptured, we need to be faithful in our daily duties, living a properly balanced human life while simultaneously living in the divine and mystical realm of the consummated Spirit and the pneumatic Christ. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 2, I, C, Key Statement 2, VII.B.2, C)
ITERO
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones takes place this week, October 5 to 7, in Manila, Philippines, as well as by webcasts around the world throughout this month. The general subject is “Living and Serving according to God's Economy Concerning the Church.” Please pray:
- For the Lord to speak a timely word to the elders and responsible ones in the churches.
- For the perfecting of all the attendees and the blending among them.
- For the Lord to cover the travel and living arrangements of all who are attending in-person, and also cover the speaking brothers and their families to keep them in a peaceful situation so that the brothers will be completely focused on the word and in the Lord to be fully one with Him in their speaking.
UCLA
Thank the Lord for all the new students who have attended at least one of our four welcome events last week! This week is UCLA's first full week of classes. Please pray:
- For the Lord to gather the students in small groups for a strong beginning to our weekly Bible studies.
- That, as the students' academic load increases, we would still be able to find times for regular, enjoyable contact with the new contacts.
- That the Lord would continue to maintain a solid coordination among all the students, saints, and serving ones through thorough prayer and fellowship.
Germany Gospel Trips
Gospels trips are set to take place October 8 to 22 in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria with local saints coordinating with saints from abroad. Please pray:
- For the Lord to prepare many university students and community residents in Germany, Switzerland and Austria as open vessels to be contacted by the saints.
- For the participating saints to get ready for the trips by praying, dealing with the Lord, and being filled with the essential and economical Spirit.
- For all the target cities to have an adequate number of saints from abroad to labor together with the local saints.
Lisbon, Portugal
Please pray for the building up and increase of the church in Lisbon, for the gaining of Bible recipients among the local people and the students, 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.
Ukraine and Russia
A reminder from the footnote on 1 Kings 8:48: “No matter for whom we are praying, our prayers should be aimed at the interests of God, i.e., at Christ and the church as God's interests on earth, for the fulfilling of God's economy.”
Please continue to pray for the Lord to:
- Keep all the saints in the countries involved open to Him for His divine dispensing.
- Meet all their practical needs and preserve their tripartite beings for His interests.
- Protect His people and His interests in Ukraine, Russia, and throughout Europe.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 2 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing (July Semiannual Training).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: There will be no ministry meeting this Wednesday, October 4; the meeting will resume on October 11 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. 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. 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 24
God Became Man That Man Might Become God
“And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” (Gen. 1:26)
“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 not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us…” (John 1:12-14)
The “diamond” in the “box” of the Bible is the revelation that in Christ God has become man in order that man might become God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead for the building up of the Body of Christ to consummate the New Jerusalem.
God created man in a special way—in His image and according to His likeness and with a spirit to contact Him and receive Him. God did not create mankind. Rather, He created man according to His kind. God became a man in order to have a mass reproduction of Himself and thereby to produce a new kind. This new kind is neither God's kind nor mankind—it is God-man kind. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 1, I, C, D, 1)
In the end He and we, we and He, all become God-men. Hence, it is not enough for us to be good men, spiritual men, or holy men. He wants us to be God-men. He is our life and everything to us for the purpose that we would express Him and live Him out. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “A Deeper Study of the Divine Dispensing,” p. 391)
UCLA
Thank you, saints, for your prayers for the Lord's move at UCLA! Over 50 brand new students attended our first welcome event this past Lord's Day. Thank the Lord for His wonderful blessing! There is still much labor in prayer and shepherding needed. Please continue to pray for:
- The Lord to bring soft and open freshmen to our introductory Bible study, first large group fellowship, and the Lord's Day morning welcome meeting, including many who would come to multiple events!
- The personal visitation and shepherding of all the new students throughout the week.
- Both the new students and those who grew up in the church life to form companionships to pursue the Lord with one another.
- The bountiful supply to all the saints laboring in coordination to shepherd the students, pray, and carry out the practical services for our welcome events.
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 this Friday, September 29 at bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips.
Rome, Italy
Rome is the capital of Italy and is one of the largest cities in Europe with a population exceeding 2.8 million people. This city has occupied a significant role throughout history and will be very significant at the end of this age. Through fellowship, Rome has been designated as one of the six key cities for migration in Europe. We hope that many saints would become burdened to strengthen the testimony of Jesus in Rome and to supply the small number of saints that are already there.
There is also a great need for the translation of the NT Recovery Version into the Italian language from the original Greek. With more than 60 million people, Italian is the last remaining major European language group without the Recovery Version. Recently, a brother has been approved to begin working on this, and others are needed to join him in this endeavor. The Recovery Version in Italian would greatly help the gospel and the interpreted truths to reach the native Italians. Please pray for these key matters related to this crucial city in Europe.
Ukraine and Russia
A reminder from the footnote on 1 Kings 8:48: “No matter for whom we are praying, our prayers should be aimed at the interests of God, i.e., at Christ and the church as God's interests on earth, for the fulfilling of God's economy.”
Please continue to pray for the Lord to:
- Keep all the saints in the countries involved open to Him for His divine dispensing.
- Meet all their practical needs and preserve their tripartite beings for His interests.
- Protect His people and His interests in Ukraine, Russia, and throughout Europe.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 1 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing, vol. 1.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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. Both the live and archived messages will also be available to view at www.lsmwebcast.com.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.