Prayer, Week of December 13
The Law of the Spirit of Life for God's Economy
"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Jehovah: I will put My law in their inward parts and write it upon their hearts…" (Jer. 31:33)
"For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death." (Rom. 8:2)
Romans 8, the subject of which is the law of the Spirit of life, may be considered the focus of the entire Bible and the center of the universe; thus, if we are experiencing Romans 8, we are in the center of the universe. The center, the centrality, of the new covenant is the inner law of life; the law of the divine life, the law of the Spirit of life, is the automatic principle and the spontaneous power of the divine life. God is in us now as a law that operates automatically, spontaneously, and unconsciously to free us from the law of sin and of death; this is one of the biggest discoveries, even recoveries, in God's economy.
Ultimately, our enjoyment of the indwelling Spirit as the automatic law of the divine life, the law of the Spirit of life, is in the Body of Christ and for the Body of Christ with the goal of making us God in life, nature, and expression but not in the Godhead to accomplish the goal of His eternal economy—the New Jerusalem. (Crystallization-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 12, III.D, A, D.1, VI)
Semiannual Video Training – Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
The church in LA's Semiannual Video Training begins Monday, December 21. Please pray for the saints to receive and respond to the Lord's burden in His up-to-date speaking. Ask the Lord to prepare all who have registered to be good listeners and absorbers of the word, and to fully participate in study times. Lord, impart more of Yourself into us for the fulfillment of Your purpose!
LA YP Parents & Serving Ones Time
This Thursday, December 17 from 8:00 to 9:00 pm, we will have an all-LA YP Parents & Serving Ones Time. We will use this time to open to the Lord in prayer, receive a fresh burden for our young people, and have helpful fellowship about how to care for the next generation among us. Contact the local serving ones in your area for the Zoom link and passcode.
Please pray that the Lord would bless this time and lead us in the church in Los Angeles.
LA Campuses
Pray for the Lord to be exhibited and for all of the students to be mutually encouraged at the UCLA end-of quarter meeting this Saturday, December 19. Also, pray for all of the college students in LA during their winter break, that they would continue to pursue the Lord day by day and remain in the fellowship with the saints throughout the break.
LA Migrations
Ken and Sylvie Day and their youngest son Daniel are returning to Lyon, France after being away for 9 years. They will leave Santa Clarita on December 15 for Knoxville to visit another son. Then, in mid-January, they will travel to France. They are so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to return and participate in the church life and labor there. Steffen, the oldest son, has already been in Lyon since August to pursue a master's degree and is going on with the church there.
Lord, strengthen and enlarge the church life in Lyon and in the surrounding cities!
FTTA Graduation
"Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36). The virtual graduation for the FTTA Fall Class of 2020 is this Saturday, December 19 at 10:00 am, followed by a recognition of the FTTA-xB (Boston Extension) at 12:00 pm. The video links will be at http://www.ftta.org. Please pray for:
- the Lord's leading of all 42 FTTA graduating trainees to follow the Lamb wherever He may go;
- the wisdom of the brothers in planning for how the Spring term would be carried out;
- many college graduates and young working saints to answer God's call to go to the FTTA next term.
Bibles for America
Bibles for America is responding to the desperate need for the gospel to be preached by increasing our gospel video production. Here are some of the titles we will release later this month and in early January on our website and YouTube channel: "The Deep Significance of the Birth of Jesus Christ," "Why We Need to Preach the Gospel," "Preaching the Gospel with BfA Resources," "The Greatest Truth in the Universe," "Jesus, the Real Solution to Our Problem."
Please pray that these videos will be widely viewed by many hungry sinners. Pray also that they will effectively convey the gospel of Jesus Christ and bring many to salvation!
Tübingen, Germany
The public administration in Tübingen has issued a permit to the saints to distribute Bibles from December 18 to 19. Please pray for the sweeping Spirit to begin to operate until it finds some local seeking households, and for the coordination among the saints to carry this out as a priesthood.
European Winter School of Truth
The European Winter School of Truth, for young people ages 12 to 18, will be online December 26 to January 2. The general subject is "The Bible - The Word of God." Please pray for the saints preparing for the WST, the willingness of all the YP to participate, and for the Lord's specific shepherding of each one.
Announcements
-
Morning Revival: Week 12 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
After the semiannual training, beginning December 28, we will use Material Offerings and the Lord's Move for three weeks. - Ways to Give: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- New Church App: The church in LA has designed a convenient phone/tablet app for the saints of all ages to stay informed with updates and helpful resources. Download at http://www.tinyurl.com/CILAapp.
- Church YouTube: Visit http://www.youtube.com/churchinlosangeles for videos from the morning revival, ministry series, and hymns. Feel free to share them with your friends or on social media.
Prayer, Week of December 6
Shepherds according to God's Heart
"Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of rest. He restores my soul…" (Psa. 23:1-3)
"…Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs… Shepherd My sheep… Feed My sheep." (John 21:15-17)
To shepherd is to take all-inclusive, tender care of the flock. All believers, regardless of their stage of spiritual growth, need shepherding.
All of us need to be under the organic shepherding of Christ and be one with Him to shepherd others. We need to shepherd the flock of God according to the Father's loving and forgiving heart and according to the Son's seeking, finding, and shepherding spirit. We are both sheep and shepherds, shepherding and being shepherded in mutuality; through this mutual shepherding, the Body builds itself up in love. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 11, V.A-E)
Semiannual Video Training
Please pray for the pre-recording of the messages for the upcoming semiannual training. Pray that the ministering brothers will be richly anointed and strengthened by the sevenfold intensified speaking Spirit to release a timely word to the recovery from Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Pray also for the technical matters and for the preparation of the saints to receive and respond to the Lord's burden in His word.
SoCal Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting
This Saturday, December 12, there will be a Chinese-speaking gospel meeting for all the churches in Southern California, held in two sessions: 5:00 to 6:00 pm and 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Live streaming of the these sessions will be at http://thenewman.org/2020gospel. Please pray:
- For the Lord to bind the strong man and release many gospel friends to attend.
- For the Lord to soften the hearts of the gospel friends to receive salvation and be baptized.
- For the meetings to go smoothly without any technical frustrations.
Bibles for America
BfA's Share the Good News website has been gaining more traction over the past few months. Most recently, from October 21 to November 17, the page traffic has shown some encouraging statistics, including 2,714 visits by 1,525 users.
Please pray that those visiting this page would continue to share the tracts, videos, and blog posts with others. Pray also that recipients of these materials would respond to the high gospel and be saved.
Europe
The United Kingdom is supposed to leave the European Union at the end of this month. Please pray for a relationship between the UK and the EU that will not hinder blending among the churches, visitation by the co-workers, or participation in trainings and conferences in the UK and continental Europe.
Lord's Move to Africa
The December 2020 online newsletter introduces the Lord's move in the western part of the African continent. Lampstands have been established in 6 of the 15 countries in this region (Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierre Leone, Togo and Benin) with approximately 2,700 saints in the church life in 54 localities. There are saints in Burkina Faso pursuing the ministry, and our prayer is that the Lord will recover the lampstand in Liberia. Read more at http://www.lmafrica.org/newsletter.
Announcements
-
Morning Revival: Week 11 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
After the semiannual training, beginning December 28, we will use Material Offerings and the Lord's Move for three weeks. - New Church App: The church in LA has designed a convenient phone/tablet app for the saints of all ages to stay informed with updates and helpful resources. Download at http://www.tinyurl.com/CILAapp.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Church YouTube: Visit http://www.youtube.com/churchinlosangeles for videos from the morning revival, ministry series, and hymns. Feel free to share them with your friends or on social media.
Prayer, Week of November 29
The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Our Culture
"Because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and unto Him. And He is before all things, and all things cohere in Him; and He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things." (Col. 1:16-18)
The kind of Christ who replaces culture is the all-inclusive, extensive Christ, the preeminent One, the centrality and universality of God's economy. The Christ who can replace our culture and become everything to us is the all-inclusive, extensive Christ.
In His salvation God not only saves us from sin, judgment, the lake of fire, the world, and the self; He also saves us from everything that replaces Christ, including our culture. The all-inclusive, extensive Christ is in us, and we need to allow Him to fill our entire being and replace our culture with Himself.
When we have the vision of the all-inclusive, extensive Christ, experience Him as our life and the constituent of our entire being, and live Him instead of our culture, the one new man will appear among us in a practical way, and we will realize the life of the new man. (Thanksgiving Conference, msg. 1, VI.A,C,D; Key Statement 2)
Semiannual Video Training Registration
For saints in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, the upcoming Semiannual Video Training will be from December 21 to 26 for English, Chinese, and Korean, and December 21 to 28 for Spanish. Registration must be completed by Tuesday, December 1. The cost is $125 per person (no shared seating). Details are at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
This training will be a Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. May the Lord gather us, His people, to enlighten us, deal with us, and infuse us with more of Himself. May we all prepare ourselves and exercise to maintain a high training atmosphere in LA to receive the Lord's timely speaking. Pray for the speaking brothers that the burden of this training may be fully released.
SoCal Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting
"For to this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." (1 Tim. 4:10)
On Saturday, December 12, there will be a Chinese-speaking gospel meeting for all the churches in Southern California. Please pray for the saints' contacting of their relatives and acquaintances to invite them to this meeting. Pray according to the desire of our Savior God that all men would be saved and would come to the full knowledge of the truth.
LA Migrations
Over the years, many saints in LA have migrated to other parts of the country and the world for the sake of the Lord's move; our recent history is no different. Periodically, we will use this space to mention and pray for saints and families who have migrated out of LA for the sake of the Lord's move elsewhere.
Last week, we prayed for the Du Plooy family who migrated to Pretoria, South Africa to continue serving the Lord there. In particular, we asked the Lord to release the best housing arrangement for the church life. We have received this update: Hannes and Heidi have found a place to live and will begin moving in on December 1, just a few weeks after their arrival. Thank you, saints, for your prayers!
Iberian Peninsula Conference
This year's Iberian Peninsula Conference will be held online from December 5 to 6. The fellowship will be based on messages given by Brother Lee in 1992 on the overcomers. Please pray that the Lord will enable many to join and for the Lord to abundantly bless this time for His move in the Iberian Peninsula.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The first Lord's table in Amsterdam will take place this weekend. There is a desperate need for an established testimony in this city. Rather than wait an unknown period of time for the easing of travel and meeting restrictions, the saints will gather in Amsterdam and invite everyone else to participate and support them via Zoom. The link is http://bit.ly/thechurchinamsterdam; the time is this Lord's Day, December 6 at 3:00 pm (Amsterdam), 6:00 am (Los Angeles).
Please pray for a strong beginning of the church life and the raising up of a golden lampstand for the testimony of Jesus in this important European city. Praise the Lord!
Announcements
- Morning Revival: REPEAT Week 10 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- New Church App: The church in LA has designed a convenient phone/tablet app for the saints to stay informed with updates, videos, and other helpful resources. Download at http://www.tinyurl.com/CILAapp.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Church YouTube: Visit http://www.youtube.com/churchinlosangeles for videos from the morning revival, ministry series, and hymns. Feel free to share them with your friends or on social media.
Prayer, Week of November 22
Praying for Recovery
"For thus says Jehovah, When seventy years are fulfilled for Babylon, I will visit you and establish My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think about you, declares Jehovah, thoughts of peace and not for evil, to give you a latter end and a hope." (Jer. 29:10-11)
Jeremiah prophesied that the captivity of Israel in Babylon would be for seventy years. The word about seventy years was a comfort to Jeremiah, assuring him that the miserable situation of his country and his people, of the temple and the city, would last only seventy years.
Because Daniel understood the prophecies in Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10-14 concerning the seventy years of Israel's captivity, he set his face "toward the Lord God to seek Him in prayer" (Dan. 9:2-3). As God's co-worker on earth, Daniel understood God's will from the Scriptures and prayed for God's will according to the Scriptures. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 10, III, A, C, 1)
Now the Lord wants to recover the experience of the riches of Christ. He wants not only to call His faithful people out of Babylon and back to the proper church life, but also to recover and bring back all the different aspects of Christ which have been lost. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2453)
Thanksgiving Conference
The general subject of the upcoming 2020 International Thanksgiving Conference is "The All-Inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man." For the church in Los Angeles, we will gather by languages on Zoom to enjoy the messages together.
The English-speaking schedule will be as follows at http://tinyurl.com/laconfmeeting:
Meeting 1: Friday, November 27…………... 10:00 AM
Meeting 2: Friday, November 27…………..... 7:30 PM
Meeting 3: Saturday, November 28………. 10:00 AM
Meeting 4: Saturday, November 28………... 7:30 PM
Meeting 5: Lord's Day, November 29……. 10:00 AM
Meeting 6: Lord's Day, November 29……... 4:00 PM
We are looking to the Lord and expecting Him to use the current world situation to do something extraordinary among us during this time. Please pray for the release of His Word through this ministry. Let us prepare ourselves for this upcoming time of ministry and sanctify these days for the hearing of faith among us. Pray for the Lord's blessing upon this conference. May it turn out to be a real memorial among us to the shame of God's enemy and to the glory of God's grace!
Semiannual Video Training Registration
For saints in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, the schedule will be December 21 to 26 for English, Chinese, and Korean, and December 21 to 28 for Spanish. The registration deadline is next Tuesday, December 1; the cost is $125 per person. Details are at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
LA Migrations
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Over the years, many saints in LA have migrated to other parts of the country and the world for the sake of the Lord's move; our recent history is no different. Periodically, we will use this space to mention and pray for saints and families who have migrated out of LA for the sake of the Lord's move elsewhere.
In mid-November, Hannes and Heidi du Plooy from Hall 5 moved to Pretoria, South Africa to continue serving the Lord there. Thank you, saints, for your prayers! They had a smooth journey and Niels, their young son, did very well. Please continue to pray for their adjustment. They are currently staying with Hannes's parents while looking for a place to live within the next two months. Pray for the Lord to release the best housing arrangement for their transition and for the church life.
Bibles for America
Recently, an increased number of saints in the churches have registered with http://materials.bfa.org to order gospel tracts, Bible offer cards, and other distribution materials from BfA. Many churches have also placed orders for Bibles and books for physical distributions wherever possible. We're thankful to the Lord for the saints' desire to spread the Word of God in spite of ongoing environmental restrictions.
Please pray that the Lord would bless every Bible, book, tract, and offer card that gets passed out. Pray also that we all would be priests of the gospel during this difficult time when people are hungry for the life and peace found in God's Word.
Honduras
Please pray for the Lord to continue to protect His interests, including the saints and the churches, in Honduras, Nicaragua, and the rest of Central America. Pray for the gospel of the kingdom to be proclaimed and the hearts of the people to be open to receive it.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 10 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations. We will REPEAT Week 10 after the Thanksgiving Conference.
- Ministry & Gospel: The fall series on "Genesis: A Book of Seeds" concluded last Lord's Day, November 22. All videos may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- The December Semiannual Training for saints in LA will be held online beginning Monday, December 21. Registration ($125) at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla closes on December 1.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Prayer, Week of November 15
Being Separated from Worldly Mixture to Enjoy God
"I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world." (John 17:14)
The children of Israel enjoyed the aspect of the world typified by Egypt. Because they were occupied by the riches and enjoyment of the world, they were kept from fulfilling the purpose for which God had created and chosen them. In the same principle, all the worldly people today have been usurped by Satan. As a result, they do not know God's purpose. How we need to thank the Lord for delivering us from slavery in the world and for setting us free from the usurping hand of Satan! (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 16-17)
Jeremiah presents God's economy to us that we may turn back to our source and origin, the Triune God as the fountain of living waters (Jer. 2:13). Then we will enjoy Him and will receive His dispensing into us for the accomplishment of His economy. God will then take care to keep the world away from us. Today in our church life there should not be anything Babylonian. We should clear away any rebellion against God, any exalting of ourselves, and any worshiping of idols. Then we will be God's elect under His dispensing to enjoy Him. (Life-study of Jeremiah, pp. 253-254)
Being Watchful and Beseeching to Escape
"Take heed to yourselves lest perhaps your hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day come upon you suddenly as a snare…. But be watchful at every time, beseeching that you would prevail to escape all these things which are about to happen and stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34, 36)
In verse 36 the Man-Savior charges us to be watchful. Instead of being stupefied or drugged, we need to be vigilant. Furthermore, at every time we need to beseech. This is not to pray in a general way; it is to pray in a particular way that we may prevail to escape the things that are about to take place. As we have pointed out, to prevail in this way is to have the strength and ability to escape the great tribulation. We should not be caught in the trend of today's world. Instead, we need to escape this trend. The strength and ability to escape come from being watchful and from beseeching. If we pray in a particular way, we shall prevail to escape all the things that are about to take place. (Life-study of Luke, msg. 48, sec. 3)
This beseeching is not ordinary, general prayer but specific prayer for a certain matter: being raptured to escape the tribulation that will come upon the whole earth. (Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 6, ch. 59, sec. 4)
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.
LA Ministry & Gospel Meeting
The English-speaking Ministry & Gospel meeting this Lord's Day, November 22 at 11:00 am will conclude our Fall series, "Genesis: A Book of Seeds." All saints are encouraged to invite guests and accompany them to this time. Please pray for many contacts, friends, and relatives to attend and for the Lord to speak to each one, including the younger saints among us. Lord, multiply Your testimony in Los Angeles!
The Zoom link is http://tinyurl.com/lachurchmeeting. Videos from previous meetings may also be viewed and shared at any time at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
Thanksgiving Conference
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Living Stream Ministry will again modify the format for the upcoming 2020 International Thanksgiving Conference and host it online. The general subject is "The All-Inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man." For the church in Los Angeles, we will gather by languages to enjoy the messages together on Zoom.
The English-speaking meeting schedule will be as follows:
Meeting 1: Friday, November 27…………... 10:00 AM
Meeting 2: Friday, November 27…………..... 7:30 PM
Meeting 3: Saturday, November 28………. 10:00 AM
Meeting 4: Saturday, November 28………... 7:30 PM
Meeting 5: Lord's Day, November 29……. 10:00 AM
Meeting 6: Lord's Day, November 29……... 4:00 PM
We are looking to the Lord and expecting Him to use the current world situation to do something extraordinary among us during this time. Please pray for the release of His Word through this ministry. Let us prepare ourselves for this upcoming time of ministry and sanctify these days for the hearing of faith among us. Pray for the Lord's blessing upon this conference. May it turn out to be a real memorial among us to the shame of God's enemy and to the glory of God's grace!
Honduras
In the aftermath of Hurricane Eta, please pray for the Lord to continue to protect His interests, including the saints and the churches, in Honduras and the rest of Central America. Pray for the gospel of the kingdom to be proclaimed and the hearts of the people to be open to receive it.
Offerings for the saints affected by the hurricane may be given to the Church in Los Angeles designated for 'HONDURAS.'
India
Through the Lord's speaking in the Memorial Day Conference, many saints in India began contacting their friends and relatives. The common feeling among the churches is that there has never been a time when people in India are as open to the gospel as during this pandemic. Please pray for:
- The campus work, that through the functioning of the college students in contacting their gospel friends, the burden of the gospel and shepherding may continue according to the present situation.
- The free literature distribution during the pandemic, that the word of God can grow, multiply and prevail, and many seeking ones can be gained for the church life and the Lord's testimony.
- The strengthening of the major cities in India, that the saints can be supplied in the word and can continue to grow in life and grow in number for the sake of the Lord's testimony.
More details and photos are in the November issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter at:
- http://lmasia.org/newsletter/2020-newsletter/november/ (English)
- http://lmasia.org/zh-hans/月刊/2020-newsletter-ch/十一月 (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 9 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- The December Semiannual Training for saints in LA will be held online beginning Monday, December 21. Registration ($125) at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla closes on December 1.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of November 8
Having Secret Fellowship with God
"Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah and whose trust Jehovah is. And he will be like a tree transplanted beside water, which sends out its roots by a stream, and will not be afraid when heat comes; for its leaves remain flourishing, and it will not be anxious in the year of drought and will not cease to bear fruit." (Jer. 17:7-8)
"And the remnant of those who have escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward." (Isa. 37:31)
The revelation here reveals that according to God's economy, the one who trusts in God is like a tree transplanted beside water. The tree grows beside water by absorbing all the riches of the water into it; this is a picture of God's dispensing. In order to receive the divine dispensing, we as the trees must absorb God as the living water to be dispensed into our being in order to become our very constituent.
In order to grow in life for the building up of the Body of Christ, we need to absorb God by taking root downward and bearing fruit upward. This means that we need to have hidden times of fellowship with God. The empowering, enlightening, enjoying of rest, rejoicing, believing, solving of problems, overcoming of trials, temptations, and hardships, and comforting for a Christian all depend upon his secret fellowship with God through prayer and God's word. (Crystallization-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 8, I.A.1-2, B.3)
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.
Semiannual Video Training Registration
The December Semiannual Training will again be conducted as an online video training. For saints in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, the schedule will be December 21 to 26 for English, Chinese, and Korean, and December 21 to 28 for Spanish. The registration deadline is Tuesday, December 1; the cost is $125 per person (no shared seating). Details are at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
May the Lord grace and motivate many saints to consecrate themselves for this training, to be infused with the Lord's up-to-date word, and to register on time.
SCYP Children's Work Conference
This Saturday, November 14, from 9:00 to 12:15 am, the Children's Work Conference will take place for for parents with children under 12 years of age and for the saints who are serving with the children's service. The two sessions will cover matters related to the burden and vision for the children along with fellowship related to some practices for the families in the home and for the church in raising up the next generation for the church life. Translation into Chinese, Spanish and Korean will be provided. Register by November 10. For more information, please fellowship with the children's service coordinators.
Bibles for America
To increase our reach on YouTube, we are improving the BfA YouTube channel in a number of ways. One focus is updating our graphics, making it easier for people to see our free Bible offer and connecting them with related content and the BfA Podcast. Please pray that the Lord will use this channel to reach people who are searching on YouTube for the basic truths in God's Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray also that the Lord would be our wisdom as we continue to update our YouTube presence.
Honduras
Last Wednesday, Hurricane Eta moved into Honduras with heavy rains that flooded and caused deadly landslides. In and around the northern city of San Pedro Sula, at least 30 homes of the saints have been damaged; many saints were evacuated to the meeting hall. Some families have lost everything—appliances, furniture, clothing—but they are smiling, happy to be alive and unharmed. The saints are coordinating to deliver food and medicine as well as carefully assess all the needs and situations.
Please pray for the Lord to continue to protect His interests, including the saints and the churches, in Honduras and the rest of Central America. Pray for the gospel of the kingdom to be proclaimed and the hearts of the people to be open to receive it.
Offerings for the saints affected by the hurricane may be given to the Church in Los Angeles designated for 'Honduras.'
Canada – Abbotsford and Guelph
On Lord's Day, November 8, all the churches in Canada—across five time zones—gathered together on Zoom for an unprecedented blending meeting. After a word of fellowship concerning renewal, revival, and restoration, it was announced that Abbotsford, British Columbia and Guelph, Ontario—both GTCA target cities for this year—had taken the ground. Praise the Lord for establishing these two new lampstands! Please pray for the Lord to continue vitalizing the saints and energizing them to preach the gospel on the campuses and in their communities for the spread of His testimony.
For more information about the Lord's move in Canada, visit http://www.lordsmoveincanada.org.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 8 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- Ministry & Gospel: Our Ministry & Gospel Meetings this month continue on November 15 and 22. The entire series may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- SCYP Children's Work Conference is Saturday morning, November 14. Register by November 10.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be online from November 26 to 29. No registration required; details will be announced closer to the date.
- The December Semiannual Training for saints in LA will be held online beginning Monday, December 21. Registration ($125) at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla closes on December 1.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of November 1
Knowing Jehovah, the Eternal God
"But Jehovah is the true God; He is the living God and the eternal King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation." (Jer. 10:10)
"You, O Jehovah, abide forever; Your throne is from generation to generation." (Lam. 5:19)
The phrase You, O Jehovah, abide forever indicates that God is eternal and that there is no change in Him. God remains immutable, not subject to any change due to any kind of environments and circumstances. In the human realm changes take place in every way, but there is no change with God's eternal being; He remains forever the same.
The phrase Your throne is from generation to generation refers to God's eternal and unchanging government. God's throne has no beginning or end; His throne exists from generation to generation. Jeremiah's word about God's eternal being and His throne is a strong sign that in writing Lamentations Jeremiah touched God's economy. He came out of his human feelings, touched God's person and God's throne, and entered into God's divinity. (Crystallization-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 7, II.C.1-2, D.1-2b)
The Prevailing Prayer of the Church
"Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens." (Matt. 18:19)
In the church as a house of prayer, we pray in an executing way, binding on earth what has been bound in heaven and loosing on earth what has been loosed in heaven; this is the prayer of the Body; we can have this kind of prayer only when we ask "in harmony." (ITERO, msg. 5, II.H)
United States
"Let the name of God be blessed from eternity to eternity, for wisdom and might are His. And it is He who changes the times and seasons; He deposes kings and causes kings to ascend." (Dan. 2:20b-21a)
"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, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity." (1 Tim. 2:1-2)
Pray that the saints would see that the Most High God is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives the kingdom to whomever He wills. Pray for the saints to know that the heavens do rule in the midst of the present world situation and that the purpose of God's heavenly ruling is to complete God's elect so that Christ may be preeminent.
Pray also that the saints would see a vision of the throne as the center of God's administration. Pray that God, as the One who deposes kings and causes kings to ascend, would place in power those whom He wills at every level of government for the carrying out of His economy on the earth. (http://Beseeching.org, Days 127-129)
All-California College Conference
This weekend we will have our first-ever All-California College Conference. It will be held online from November 6 to 8 on the topic of "Loving the Lord's Appearing." Please pray for the college students from both Northern and Southern California, including many first-timers, to sanctify this weekend unto the Lord. Pray that the Lord would appear to each one as their hope and encouragement, both in their personal fellowship with Him and in the messages.
European Autumn University Conference
This year's European Autumn University Conference will be held online from November 13 to 15. The general subject is "The Two Trees." The registration deadline is November 7. Pray for many students, young adults, and serving ones to set aside this weekend and register on time.
Canada
This Saturday, November 7, there will be a Canada Brothers' Conference. Over 600 brothers have registered for this online gathering to pray, fellowship, and coordinate together for the Lord's interest and move in the country. The Lord's Day meeting on November 8 will be a combined blending meeting on Zoom for all the churches in Canada—all at the same time, across five time zones.
Please pray that the Lord in His heavenly ministry will continue to shepherd His churches in Canada for His increase and spread to express His glory in a fuller and richer way. May His presence be with all the churches during this time.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: REPEAT Week 7 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- Ministry & Gospel: Our Ministry & Gospel Meetings this month will be on November 8, 15 and 22. The entire series may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- SCYP Children's Work Conference is Saturday morning, November 14. Register by November 10.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be online from November 26 to 29. No registration required; details will be announced closer to the date.
- The December Semiannual Training for saints in LA will be held online as a video training beginning Monday, December 21. Registration ($125) will open this week at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and close on December 1.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of October 25
Waiting on Our Faithful God
"It is Jehovah's lovingkindness that we are not consumed, for His compassions do not fail… Jehovah is my portion, says my soul; therefore I hope in Him. Jehovah is good to those who wait on Him, to the soul that seeks Him." (Lam. 3:22, 24-25)
When the situation around us seems to be hopeless, we need to realize that our God can never be defeated. Whatever He has spoken, He will be faithful to fulfill. Therefore we should believe all that the Bible says. In addition, we need to realize that God is the portion of His people, and we need to put our hope and our trust in Him. We need to trust in Him and wait on Him whether He answers us now or later. Even if he seemingly does not answer our prayer, we should continue to pray and wait on Him. The eventual result will be according to His purpose, and we will be the ones benefited by Him. May we all learn this lesson. (Life-study of Lamentations, p. 9)
Although God is true, living, compassionate, and faithful, in order to test His people, He often delays in fulfilling His word. To wait on the eternal God means that we terminate ourselves; that is, we stop ourselves with our living, our doing, and our activity and receive God in Christ as our life, our person, and our replacement. We need to learn the lesson of waiting on the Lord. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 7, IV.B.1-2.a)
The Prevailing Prayer of the Church
"Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (Matt. 18:18)
The prayer in the church as a house of prayer is in the position of ascension, and with this position of prayer there is the authority of prayer. When we have the heavenly position and authority, our prayers become God's administration, the executing of God's will. This is the prevailing prayer of the church—the prayer of the age. (ITERO, msg. 5, II.G)
United States
"Let the name of God be blessed from eternity to eternity, for wisdom and might are His. And it is He who changes the times and seasons; He deposes kings and causes kings to ascend." (Dan. 2:20b-21a)
"This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills and sets up over it the lowliest of men." (Dan. 4:17)
Pray that the Lord would sovereignly rule to preserve America's leadership in the world situation so that He may have the way to accomplish His purpose that His bride would be prepared. Pray that a peaceful situation would be kept in the United States and throughout the globe for the word of the Lord's recovery to go out. Pray that the saints would see that the Most High God is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives the kingdom to whomever He wills. (http://www.beseeching.org, Days 115, 117, 127)
Church in Los Angeles Joint Meeting
The whole church in LA—all halls, districts, and languages—will meet together this Lord's Day, November 1 from 10:00 to 11:30 am. There will be translation into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. The Zoom link is http://tinyurl.com/lachurchmeeting.
Let us be those who wait on the Lord, seek Him, and call unto Him. Please pray for His lovingkindness, compassions, and faithfulness to refresh and encourage all the saints to pursue Him more in these days. Pray for the Lord to gain a brighter testimony and expression of Himself in this city!
Orange County
As of Monday, at least 85,000 residents in Irvine and Yorba Linda were under mandatory evacuation due to two large brush fires. Please pray for the protection of the Lord's interests. Also pray for such "shaking" to open the hearts of people to receive the gospel and stir us to speak the gospel more.
All-California College Conference
This fall we will have our first-ever All-California College Conference. It will be held online from November 6 to 8 on the topic of "Loving the Lord's Appearing." The registration deadline is this Thursday, October 29. Please pray that many college students from both Northern and Southern California, including many first-timers, would sanctify this weekend unto the Lord and register on time!
European Online Training
Amana Trust will conduct the Autumn Online Training for saints in Europe from October 31 to November 21. This three-week event will explore four great matters in the Bible—truth, life, the church, and the gospel. The online sessions will consist of spoken lessons, group times, and opportunities for personal time with the Lord. The schedule is four Saturday mornings and three Wednesday evenings for a total of five hours a week.
Zürich, Switzerland
The church life began in Zurich in 1978 and grew to 120 saints. The turmoil in the late 1980s left only a few. Now we pray for the restoration of the Lord's testimony in Zurich. A five-minute video with history, photos, and specific prayer burdens is at http://tinyurl.com/Zu-Sw.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 7 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Next week, we will REPEAT Week 7.
- Daylight Savings Time will end in the early morning this Lord's Day, November 1. Please remember to move your clock back one hour before you sleep on Saturday night, October 31.
- Ministry & Gospel: There will not be a Ministry & Gospel Meeting this Lord's Day, November 1. The series resumes the following week, November 8. Previous meetings can be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- Interim Instructions for Giving: Instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of October 18
Revolutionized by Realizing That We Are God-men
"And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…" (Gen. 1:26)
"…We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is." (1 John 3:2)
When we think of ourselves as God-men, this thinking, this realization, revolutionizes us in our daily experience…. After hearing that God wants a group of God-men, how can you be content to be anything else? What do you want to be? Do you want to be a typical Chinese or a typical American? Do you want to be merely a Christian or a believer in Christ? We should all declare that we want to live the life of a God-man. Eventually, the God-men will be the victors, the overcomers, the Zion within Jerusalem. This will bring in a new revival which has never been seen in history, and this will end this age. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, pp. 27-28)
Let us all pray for the proper realization that we are God's kind and that our experience of Christ would be revolutionized.
Responding to Christ as a House of Prayer
"If therefore you were raised together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." (Col. 3:1)
In His heavenly ministry Christ is interceding, ministering, and executing God's administration, and we need to be those who respond to Christ's activities in His heavenly ministry by our prayers in the church as the temple of God, a house of prayer.
Through our prayer Christ, the Head, is given a way to carry out His administration through His Body. As the Head is working in heaven by interceding, ministering, and administrating, we, the Body, are working on earth by responding to the heavenly ministry of Christ and reflecting what He is doing.
If we seek the things which are above and have one life and one living with Christ, we will be wholly occupied with the Lord's interest. Our heart will be with Him in heaven, where He is interceding for the churches, supplying the saints, and administrating God's government. (ITERO, msg. 5 outline, II.F.1-2)
Church in Los Angeles Joint Meeting
The whole church in LA—all halls, districts, and languages—will meet together on Lord's Day, November 1 from 10:00 to 11:30 am. There will be translation to Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. The Zoom information will be communicated later. Please pray for a healthy attendance and participation, and for much blending and mutual encouragement.
LA Gospel Meeting in Korean
The Korean-speaking saints in Hall 1 will hold an online gospel meeting on Friday, October 23 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. The messaged will be based on John 4:14a: "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever." In our vital groups, we have been praying for gospel friends and backsliding ones; we have at least 53 names of contacts we are burdened to invite. Please pray for:
- the saints to be in one accord to bind the enemy and release these contacts (and more) to attend;
- the Lord to visit each of these ones to soften their hearts;
- the Lord to bless the gospel meeting and pour out the Spirit on all the participants.
United States
With the elections approaching on November 3 and early voting already taking place in many areas, we pray to release on earth the authority of the "Ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5) for His choice of elected officials. Pray that the heavens will rule and that the outcome will advance the Lord's move on earth to prepare His bride and bring in the King with His kingdom.
Bibles for America
BfA will host a special webinar this Wednesday, October 21 at 1:00 pm to present a behind-the-scenes tour of our new distribution center in Anaheim and give an update of our operations and the current focus of our labor. If you would like to attend, you can register at http://biblesforamerica.org/webinar-oct2020 to receive the Zoom link. Translation into Spanish will be available. If you are unable to attend live but would like to watch later, please still register and we will email a recording to all registrants afterward.
Please pray that this webinar would impart a deeper burden for the spread of God's Word and the gospel of the kingdom to all who attend.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 6 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be online from November 26 to 29. No registration required; details will be announced closer to the date.
- Ministry & Gospel: The last Ministry & Gospel Meeting (English-speaking) for this month will take place at 11:00 am this Lord's Day, October 25. The entire series may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- Interim Instructions for Giving: Instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving, which includes Zelle, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of October 11
Vessels of Mercy Sovereignly Prepared unto Glory
"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." (Rom. 9:16)
"In order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory." (Rom. 9:23)
If we look back upon our past, we shall worship the Lord. We shall realize that our steps have been not of ourselves, but of Him. Before we were born, He selected us and predestinated us and arranged everything related to us, including the time and place of our birth. Moreover, He appointed all our days and all the places where we are to be…. Everything that happens to us is a matter of divine mercy. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 610-611, 613)
As vessels, we are not instruments or weapons—we are containers. According to Romans 9, we contain mercy, honor, and glory. This mercy, honor, and glory are actually the Triune God. In the initial stage of our experience the Triune God is our mercy, in the progressing stage He is our honor, and in the completing stage He is our glory. At present we are enjoying our God as mercy and somewhat as honor. When the Lord Jesus comes back, we shall be fully brought into honor and also into glory. Then we shall be filled with the Triune God not only as our mercy but also as our honor and glory. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1183)
Prayer on the Ground of Christ's Ascension
What is the Lord doing in the heavenlies today? The Bible tells us that He is waiting for His enemies to be subdued and made the footstool for His feet (Heb. 10:13). How will this be accomplished while He is waiting? This will be accomplished by the church praying a certain kind of prayer. The prayer that is needed is not an ordinary kind of prayer but a specific, definite, and extraordinary kind of prayer. This kind of prayer is based upon the ascension of Christ and claims all that the Lord has obtained and attained in His ascension. This prayer takes the ground of Christ's ascension and is based upon the fact that the Lord has ascended to the heavens, attained to the highest place, and obtained all things. (CWWL, 1963, vol. 1, "Prayer on the Ground of Christ's Ascension," p. 154.)
May all the saints enter into such a specific, definite, and extraordinary kind of prayer—prayer that is based upon Christ's ascension and claims all that He has obtained and attained in His ascension.
LA Gospel Meeting in Korean
The Korean-speaking saints in Hall 1 will hold an online gospel meeting on Friday, October 23 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Last Lord's Day, we released the burden on being watchful and faithful. We prayed that we would use our one talent properly and not hide in the earth. Please pray for:
- the saints to be burdened to pray with companions and to invite their gospel friends;
- the Lord to cover all aspects of the meeting preparation and coordination; and
- the meeting to be carried out smoothly and richly supply all guests.
United States
With the elections approaching on November 3, we pray to release on earth the authority of the "Ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5) for His choice of elected officials. We pray for the heavens to rule and for the outcome to advance God's interests on earth, which is Christ as God's portion to us, as God's kingdom, and as God's dwelling place.
International Blending Conference Baarlo Online
Since 2010, the autumn conference in Baarlo, The Netherlands and the spring conference in London, UK are the two times a year that all the saints in Europe gather. This year, from October 16 to 18, the blending conference normally held in Baarlo will be online. The general subject is "Being Intensified by the Seven Spirits Before the Throne of God to Carry out the Divine Administration and to Consummate the Divine Economy." Please pray for the blending of the saints and churches and for the advance of the Lord's recovery in Europe.
Azerbaijan
Pray for the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that the tripartite being of the saints and the Lord's interest in these countries can be preserved.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 5 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- LA Joint Meeting: Lord's Day, November 1, we will have a meeting of the whole church in LA.
- Ministry & Gospel: Our Ministry & Gospel Meetings continues this month on October 18 and 25. The entire series may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- Interim Instructions for Giving: Instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving, which includes Zelle, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.