Growing Together with Christ in the Likeness of His Death and Resurrection
“We have been buried therefore with Him through baptism into His death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life. For if we have grown together with Him in the likeness of His death, indeed we will also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Rom. 6:4-5)
The Christian life is a life of baptism. On the one hand, baptism has been accomplished; on the other hand, baptism continues until we are fully transformed and conformed to the image of Christ. This means that we are daily under the application of the death of Christ as we experience the effectiveness of His death, which is now one of the ingredients, the elements, in the all-inclusive Spirit.
In baptism we were not only buried into death, but we also began to grow. According to Godet, the word grown denotes “the organic union in virtue of which one being shares the life, growth, and phases of existence belonging to another.” We have been grafted into the “tree” of Christ, the Son of God, as the embodiment of the processed Triune God. Having become one with Him through grafting, we now partake of the life and characteristics of Him as the all-inclusive One, and in this way we grow in Him.
In the organic union with Christ, whatever Christ passed through has become our history…Such a grafting discharges all our negative elements, resurrects our God-created faculties, uplifts our faculties, enriches our faculties, and saturates our entire being to transform us. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3051, 3054-3056)
Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ
“For it is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious; and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.’ To you therefore who believe is the preciousness…” (1 Pet. 2:6-7)
“And he said to me, Daniel, man of preciousness, understand the words that I am about to tell you…” (Dan. 10:11)
“But the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptible adornment of a meek and quiet spirit, which is very costly in the sight of God.” (1 Pet. 3:4)
We must redeem the time to enjoy Christ as the supreme preciousness of God so that we can be constituted with Him to be men of preciousness as His personal treasure; as we live in His precious presence, enjoying Him as our portion, even as He enjoys us as His treasure, He builds Himself into us to make us His spiritual house and His holy and royal priesthood for the accomplishment of His heart’s desire. (June 2025 Semiannual Training, Key Statement 3)
Please continue to pray for the Lord’s operation in the saints and the saints’ cooperation based on His speaking in the recent semiannual training. Pray for the trainings that are still being carried out through webcast in various places around the world, that all the saints would enter into the riches and the burden of this speaking for the whole Body of Christ to arrive at the Lord’s goal.
May we all give the Lord access to our inner being and allow Him to make His home in our hearts. May we all redeem the time to advance in our experience and enjoyment of Christ for the expression of Christ for the fulfillment of God’s economy!
North America Chinese-speaking Saints Perfecting Training
This summer’s perfecting training for Chinese-speaking saints in North America will take place in two parts—July 23 to 27 in Camp Penuel, New York and July 30 to August 3 in Cerritos. The general subject is “Go and Bear Remaining Fruit.” Please pray for the Lord to:
- Strengthen, protect, and prepare the saints who have registered for this training.
- Cover all the practical needs of the training so that the burden of the training can be fully released.
- Encourage and perfect the seeking Chinese-speaking saints in the churches in truth, life, and service.
European Young People’s Conference and Family Camp
The annual European YP conference and family camp will take place on July 27 to August 2 in Małe Ciche, Poland. The burden of the YP conference is to constitute the young people in Europe with the truth in the Bible so that they are encouraged to love the Lord and the Word of God, to pursue Him with one another, and to be built up together in His Body that they may become pillars for the Lord’s move in Europe and for His coming back. The burden of the family camp is to raise up families from across Europe for the church life. Please pray:
- That the Lord will once again speak a clear and definite word to each young person that will touch each heart and call each one for the advancement of His move in Europe.
- That there will be a cleansed and sanctified environment for the Lord to freely move among our young generation to gain a group of consecrated young people in Europe for His testimony and expression.
- For much blending, mutual encouragement, and strong morale among the young people and families.
- For the covering and protection of the saints in their travels and throughout the entire week of the conference, and for the health and safety of all in attendance.
Meeting Hall in Riga, Latvia
Riga is the capital of Latvia, one of the three Baltic countries in Northeastern Europe, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. Riga plays a vital role in connecting these countries and serves as a key bridge between the Russian-speaking work and the broader work in Europe. The country has a population of 1.9 million.
Previously, we have reported that through the fellowship in the Body, the church in Riga acquired a four-story building and has been carrying out extensive renovation work. However, due to changes in construction plans the rising cost of materials, as well as the building’s status as a recognized historical site, the renovation costs are expected to increase by approximately 200,000 Euros. Please pray:
- For greater involvement of the brothers in fellowship and coordination on matters related to this project.
- For timely approval and authorization of all permits and plans, so that there are no delays in the work.
- For everyone laboring on the project, for the supply of the saints, and for the safety of all the workers.
- For sufficient financial supply.
A five-minute video report has been posted at lme.org/reports.html. As the Lord leads, saints in LA may participate in giving through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Riga Meeting Hall.”
Pakistan
There are currently four lampstands and over 325 saints in Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country with the world’s fifth-largest population (over 241 million). Since November 2024, the saints have begun distributing Rhema books on university campuses to contact students and find the seeking ones.
Please pray that the Lord would open the door of the gospel on the campuses and in the community, so that the saints may reach university students and gain many open and seeking ones for Him.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of Chapters 5 through 8 of Romans—the Kernel of the Bible.
- FTTA: A video of the graduation presentation from June 28 is available for a limited time at ftta.org.
- Bibles for America‘s blogpost “The Importance of Spending Personal Time with Jesus in the Morning” is available to read and share at bfa.org/blog. Helpful videos are available at bfa.org/videos.
- 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy: A letter of fellowship and a letter with instructions on how to apply and participate in gospel trips are posted at lme.org/reports.html.
- Germany Gospel Trips: Saints are invited to participate in gospel trips in German-speaking countries from October 5 to 19 for the purpose of contacting university students. More information, including instructions on how to register for these trips, is at tinyurl.com/Gospeltrips-2025.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.