Prayer, Week of April 15
Taking Christ as our Person and Living Him
"My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you." (Gal. 4:19)
"That [the Father] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith." (Eph. 3:16-17a)
God's central work is to work Himself in Christ into His chosen people, making Himself one with them. God's intention in His economy is to work Himself into us not only as our life but also as our person. If we take Christ as our person, we will live Him out as the proper church life. Taking Christ as our person requires that we love Him to the uttermost.
The way for us to grow in life, which is the way for the Lord to grow within us, is to recover our first love toward the Lord. We grow and enjoy the Lord by loving Him. The Lord loves us all the time, and we need to love Him all the time so that we can spontaneously be one with Him. In this way He will have an opening in every part of our being and will have a way to grow in us. To love the Lord is to be stopped from our doing and is to let Him live in us and take full possession of our being.
Lord Jesus, I open to You. Take full possession of me. Lord, I love You. I present myself to You. Possess me more and more until You reach every part of my being and make Your home in me.
(excerpts from ITERO messages 1, 3, 5)
Joint LA Meeting
The whole church will meet together on May 6 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at LA Trade Tech College for the Lord's table and a special fellowship with brother Minoru Chen. For the sake of the Lord's testimony in this city, let us pray, remind, and encourage one another to attend this gathering and pray strongly for the Lord's move through this time together!
West Coast University Faculty/Staff Blending Workshop
The churches in Southern California will have a workshop for blending and fellowship for those saints at the colleges or universities on the West Coast of the US and Canada who are or intend to be teachers, research staff, post-doctoral fellows, or Ph.D. candidates.
The workshop will be held at Oak Glen, and will begin at 7 pm on Friday, April 27, and continue until noon on the Lord's Day, April 29. Registration and detailed information at http://tinyurl.com/2018faculty.
Junior High Brothers Conference
From April 20 to 22, brothers from across Southern California will gather at Oak Glen for the Spring Junior High Brothers Conference. For this conference we pray:
- for the Lord to prepare the hearts of all of the brothers in Southern California;
- that they would be helped to develop a relationship with the Lord through His Word; and
- that the Word would grow in them richly so that they can speak to their friends.
The Church in Madrid and the Work in Iberia
The church in Madrid, Spain began in 2001 with 12 saints; today it has more than 100 with about 70 meeting regularly on Lord's Days. The current rented hall is too small for the church, storage for Bibles for Europe and Rhema, and to be a base for 11 full timers who serve with the work in all of Iberia (Spain + Portugal).
After several years of prayer and searching, the church found a place suitable for all uses, in a safe neighborhood, with good transportation, and acceptable for use by a church. The church will make an initial payment of 30,000 euros ($37,000) this Wednesday. Another 70,000 euros ($86,000) is due at the end of April, and the final amount of 600,000 euros ($740,000) at the end of July.
Pray for this transaction to be completed and for the timely financial supply for this purchase. You may donate to the church (any amount, small or large, as the Lord leads), designated for Madrid.
European Brothers' Training
This training will be April 20 to 22 in London. It will include videos of all the ITERO messages, group study times, and fellowship about the Lord's move in Europe.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 3 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1.
- The Southern California Blending Conference will be from June 9 to 10 in Anaheim.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be May 11 to 13 at Oak Glen. Registration is due April 29.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Live training registration including payment ($205) is due April 27. Registration for the webcast ($105) is due June 12. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
Prayer, Week of April 8
We Take Christ Daily to Experience Christ Daily
We need to take Christ as our burnt offering daily so that we may experience Christ in His experiences as the burnt offering, not imitating Christ outwardly but living Him as our daily life. By such a union, Christ becomes one with us and lives in us, repeating in us the life that He lived on earth, the life of the burnt offering. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 2, IV, III.B)
"The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it must not go out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it and shall burn the fat of the peace offerings on it." (Lev. 6:12)
"The love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all that those who live may no longer live to themselves but to Him who died for them and has been raised." (2 Cor. 5:14-15)
ITERO
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones is April 13 to 15 in Anaheim. Let us beseech the Lord that through this training, the Lord will make all the brothers able ministers of the New Testament, effective building material for the universal building up of the Body of Christ, and good stewards and serving ones in our respective local churches. May the Lord also build His Body through the blending of brothers from the whole earth and the serving of all the FTTA trainees.
Ninety-one brothers from L.A. are registered. Pray that there be no hindrance to our attendance.
Summer Training Registration
Registration for the 2018 Summer Training (July 2 to 7) is open now: $205 for Anaheim. Ask the Lord to increase our number participating in His speaking to the churches in this training on Leviticus. Registration deadline for live is April 27 and for webcast is June 12 at: http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
GTCA City Near California - Reno, NV
GTCA is the carrying out of the burden to gospelize, truthize, and churchize America. This is a long-term labor to build up the Body of Christ. In past weeks we mentioned the four 2018 target cities in California.
The Lord has been gathering seekers in the Reno area for a number of years to meet as His testimony. Currently, the church life in Reno consists of 41 saints. There are also numerous community and student contacts. Weekly meetings include the Lord's Table and prophesying meeting, a prayer meeting, and a Friday night meeting at the campus house, 1.4 miles from University of Nevada, Reno.
Pray for continued shepherding contacts with those who received New Testaments during the FTTA gospel trip and for a continuing gospel atmosphere among all the saints.
Germany
Please continue to pray for the spreading of the Lord's testimony throughout Germany. Besides the churches currently in Germany, there are seekers in many other cities. In some of these cities there is a weekly campus Bible study. Ask the Lord to supply the saints bountifully in traveling to and shepherding all of these believers and to gradually burden some experienced in the church life to migrate for the raising up of local churches in Aachen, Bielefeld, Bochum, Cologne, Darmstadt, Dresden, Freiburg, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Leipzig, Limburg, Mainz, Munich, and Tübingen.
Also pray for continued grace to all who are studying the German language.
The Church in Islamabad, Pakistan
Our first stay-in Youth Training was March 22 to 24. The subject was "The Need to Become Age-Turners." The 20 young people were very pleased with the messages, the fellowship among themselves, and the outing at a park; they did not want to go back home. One young brother got baptized. Some of these young people attend and participate in multiple meetings per week. We are so excited to report how the Lord has been working in, through, and out of the lives of these young people!
Our gospel preaching is corporate. District 1 and 2 saints go to their own communities Tuesdays and Wednesdays to preach the gospel. On Thursdays, many District 1 saints go to the community where there's a possibility to establish another district. On Fridays both districts' saints go to another community. Many regular home meetings have been established in these communities and new families are being contacted.
Please pray that:
- the saints would continue to grow in life, especially the youth who just attended the training;
- the number of saints in each locality would grow;
- the Lord would raise up brothers who have a burden to establish a third district;
- for the release of visas for two saints who desire to attend FTT in the Philippines.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 2 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1 (Winter Training).
- Children's Work Conference & 6th Grade Preparation Meeting: Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am to 12:15 pm (children's work) and 1:00 to 2:30 pm (6th grade). Lunch will be served. Translation will be provided. Please bring your FM radio. The location is the Church in Diamond Bar meeting hall. Donation is $20. Register at http://www.scyp.com/conferences by April 15.
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church will meet together on May 6 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at LA Trade Tech College for the Lord's table and a special fellowship with brother Minoru Chen.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be May 11 to 13 at Oak Glen. Registration is due April 29.
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- The 2018 Southern California Blending Conference will be from June 9 to 10 in Anaheim.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Live training registration including payment ($205) is due April 27. Registration for the webcast ($105) is due June 12. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
Prayer, Week of April 1
Trained to Live in the Reality of the Universe
"The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us…, full of grace and reality….For the law was given through Moses; grace and reality came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:14, 17)
"Jesus said to him, I am the way and the reality and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
The reality of the universe is Christ as the tabernacle and the offerings. As the God-man, Christ is the tabernacle to be the dwelling place for God and man, and He is the offerings for man to enter into God. Through Christ as the offerings, we can dwell in God, and God can dwell in us; this is the reality of the universe and the content of the Bible. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg 1, II.D, 1, 3)
God is training His people to live in this reality. Lord, we give ourselves to be trained by You and in You day by day. Gain Your full desire in us!
Southern California College Conference
The college conference will take place this weekend, April 6 to 8, in Anaheim. The general subject is "The One New Man." In particular, please pray that:
- the number of participating students would significantly increase compared to last year; also that many high school seniors would come;
- the students' eyes would be opened to see a vision of Christ Himself as all and in all;
- the Spirit would flow in a released way and all attendees would be carried away in spirit; and
- the Lord would blend His Body together, including through the hospitality in the homes.
Junior High Sisters' Conference
From April 6 to 8, sisters from across Southern California will gather at Oak Glen for the Spring 2018 Junior High Sisters' Conference. For this conference we pray:
- for the Lord to prepare the hearts of all of the sisters in Southern California;
- that they would be helped to develop a relationship with the Lord through His Word; and
- that the Word would grow in them richly so that they can speak to their friends.
Children's Work Conference & 6th Grade Preparation Meeting
These times of fellowship are Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am to 12:15 pm (children's work) and 1:00 to 2:30 pm (6th grade). Lunch will be served. Translation into Chinese, Spanish, and Korean will be provided; please bring your FM radio. The location is the Church in Diamond Bar meeting hall. Donation is $20. Register at http://www.scyp.com/conferences by April 15.
These meetings will be on the burden and vision for the children along with some practices for the families in the homes and for the churches in raising up the next generation. Pray that in addition to regular serving ones, more parents of children under 12 would attend these meetings.
GTCA Cities in California - Morgan Hill
GTCA is the carrying out of the burden to gospelize, truthize, and churchize America. This is a long-term labor. Each week we are praying for one of the 2018 target cities in California. FTTA gospel trips in 2017 and 2018 included time in Morgan Hill.
Morgan Hill is a city at the southern tip of Silicon Valley, approximately 12 miles south of San Jose. It is primarily a residential community and is among the most expensive places in the U.S. to live. Presently we are meeting three times per month for the table meeting as a district of San Jose. There are 8 or 9 families meeting together every week, with four homes regularly opened for meetings.
Lord, raise up Your shining lampstand in Morgan Hill!
Bibles for Australia
Bibles for Australia volunteers are planning to give away 5,000 Bibles at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15. This athletic event attracts people from 71 nations across the globe. Please pray that many spectators and participants from all over the world will be open to the gospel and to receive a free copy of the NT Recovery Version.
Germany
Please pray for the trainees from FTT Taipei coming April 3 to May 5 to strengthen the Lord's move among the churches and in all of Germany.
For more information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Turkey
Much of what is recorded in Acts took place in what is now Turkey, a country of 80 million people. This month's LMA Newsletter has a review of the Lord's move in Turkey and a report from Myanmar:
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/E-2018-03.pdf (English)
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Asia-2018-03.pdf (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 1 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1 (Winter Training).
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in Los Angeles will meet together on Lord's Day, May 6 at LA Trade Tech College.
- Junior High Brothers Conference will be April 20 to 22 at Oak Glen. Registration due April 8.
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, MO. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Live training registration including payment ($205) is due April 27. Registration for the webcast ($105) is due June 12. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
Prayer, Week of March 25
The Consciousness of the One New Man
"God is my witness how I long after you all in the inward parts of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:8)
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 2:5)
"[In the new man] there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all. Put on therefore…inward parts of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, long-suffering." (Col. 3:11-12)
The one new man comes into being as we are saturated, filled, and permeated with Christ and replaced by Him through an organic process. In order to practice the church life in the consciousness of the one new man, we need to live in the inward parts of Christ Jesus and take Christ's inward parts as our own. (The Genuine Church Life, I.E.2, III.)
Chinese-Speaking Blending and Perfecting at Oak Glen
This weekend Chinese-speaking saints from L.A. will have a retreat at Oak Glen. Some saints from six other localities (SoCal and Phoenix) will join us; our total number will be close to 200. There are two main burdens this time: 1) we will all consecrate ourselves to love the Lord and the church life whether we are students, young adults, or families; 2) we will enjoy the humanity of Jesus for our life and service of the church, that is to practice the God-ordained way through the vital groups. Please pray that the burdens be well-received by the saints, and give us a enjoyable and profitable weekend.
UCLA Spring Break Blending Trips
Every year, the students at UCLA go on blending trips to various parts of the US to have their vision of the Body of Christ enlarged and refreshed. This year, a group of 14 will go to Atlanta, Murfreesboro, and Knoxville; another 12 will go to Washington, DC and Philadelphia; and a few will attend FTTA short term. Please pray:
- for the bountiful supply to the saints in the host localities in their receiving us and that this kind of pattern would have a definite impact on our students and be reproduced;
- for safe travels and that the times in the vehicles would be filled with the enjoyment of Christ;
- that the blending would usher in an enlarged and refreshed vision of the Body of Christ;
- that those short-terming would receive the maximum benefit in their time in the training.
Summer Training Registration
Registration for the 2018 Summer Training (July 2 to 7) is open now: $205 for Anaheim. Ask the Lord to increase our number participating in His speaking to the churches in this training on Leviticus. Registration deadline for live is April 27 and for webcast is June 12 at: http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
Bibles for America
Over the last five years, BfA has produced over 60 videos, with over 1.7 million views across its website and YouTube. These videos have been a great source of help to many people. They cover the following general categories: gospel messages, Bible truths, Recovery Version and Christian books, and inspirational testimonies. BfA videos can be found at http://biblesforamerica.org/videos.
Please pray for many more people to enrich their Christian lives by watching these spiritually nourishing videos and sharing them with others.
Europe
The International Blending Conference is in London March 30 through April 1. The general subject is "The Crucial Revelation of Life in the Scriptures." Please pray for the gathering of the saints from all over Europe for this annual spring conference. Pray also for the Lord's covering of every aspect of this conference, the release of the His up-to-date speaking, and the advance of the His move.
GTCA Cities in California - Folsom
GTCA is the carrying out of the burden to gospelize, truthize, and churchize America. This long-term labor is part of the one, unique work of the Lord to build up the Body of Christ. Each week we are praying for one of the 2018 target cities in California.
Folsom is northeast of Sacramento, less than 12 miles from the church in Roseville. We have a local prayer meeting, children's meeting, various home meetings and Bible studies, and host a weekly BfA table in Folsom City College. After fellowship with the brothers in the region, we had our first table meeting as a district in October 2016. There has been some traction with the local people through the children's meeting yet we feel like there is room for the Lord to grow.
Lord, grow, and gain the local people.
Germany
The church in Stuttgart is in need of a meeting hall. Please pray that the most suitable location at the most affordable price would be released in a timely manner.
There is the need for a new meeting hall for the church in Berlin that will match what the Lord wants to do for His testimony there. The brothers have found two potential places. May the Lord lead them in the decision.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 6 of The Genuine Church Life. Next week, we will begin Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1 (Winter Training).
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in Los Angeles will meet together on Lord's Day, May 6 at LA Trade Tech College.
- Junior High Brothers Conference will be April 20 to 22 at Oak Glen. Registration due April 8.
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, Missouri. Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- Information about Germany and Europe: see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of March 18
Seeing and Practicing the Scriptural Way to Meet and to Serve
"And He... gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His Body…" (Eph. 1:22-23)
"Therefore we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." (2 Cor. 4:16)
We must see and practice the crucial points concerning the light and revelation we have received from the Lord regarding the scriptural way to meet and to serve for the building up of the Body of Christ:
- We must function as priests of the gospel, preaching the gospel and saving people by visitation.
- We must meet in the new believers' homes, nourishing and cherishing them, so that our fruit may remain.
- We must teach and perfect the saints through the vital group meetings under the New Testament work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.
- We must lead the saints to pursue and desire prophesying in the church meetings, speaking for the Lord, and speaking forth the Lord, supplying the Lord to others, and speaking and listening to one another in mutuality for the building up of the saints and the church.
In order to practice the scriptural way to meet and to serve for the building up of the Body of Christ, we need a revived living and a labor in shepherding that flow out from our love of the Lord. (The Genuine Church Life, msg 5, I.A-D; II)
College Conference Registrations
The Spring College Conference (April 6 to 8 in Anaheim) provides college students a significant opportunity for blending, not only with other students, but with many families in Southern California who will provide hospitality. The registration deadline is this Lord's Day, March 25. Please pray for the Lord to motivate and energize more college students to attend.
High School Brothers Conference
From March 23 to 25, brothers from across Southern California with gather at Oak Glen for the Spring 2018 High School Brothers Conference. For this conference we pray:
- for the Lord to prepare the hearts of all of the brothers in Southern California;
- that the young brothers would open to and experience the Lord as life who meets the need of every situation, condition, and person;
- and that the issue of touching this life, in their experience, would be a house of feasting where they learn to serve, testify, and love the Lord to the uttermost.
GTCA Cities in California - Clovis
GTCA is the carrying out of the burden to gospelize, truthize, and churchize America. This long-term labor is part of the one, unique work of the Lord to build up the Body of Christ. Each week we will pray for one of the 2018 target cities in California.
Clovis is northeast of Fresno. It is the location of a community college and near Cal State University-Fresno. There are 20 saints living in Clovis who presently meet with the church in Fresno. The FTTA gospel trips this year included time on the campuses and door-knocking in the community. Lord, raise up a solid testimony to be Your shining lampstand in Clovis!
Bibles for America
On average, over 84,000 people visit the BfA Blog each month. Many are subscribers; others are people who come to our site by clicking on BfA blog posts that show up in their online search results.
As the number of people coming to our site via the blog increases, more people in this country have an opportunity to discover the rich ministry of the age. Please pray for all of these visitors to
- notice the free NT Recovery Version offer and books and order them.
- read them and be brought into the full knowledge of the truth and the experience of Christ as life.
European University Conference
The Spring European University Conference will take place March 23 to 25 in the Netherlands. The subject will be "The Humanity of Jesus for the Fulfillment of God's Purpose." We feel that this topic is very much according to the Lord's heart, and it is also stirring up His enemy's opposition.
Please pray that the Lord will prepare the hearts of the university-age saints from all over Europe and release them to attend the conference. Please pray also that the Lord's blessing will be poured out on every aspect of this gathering.
Impact of the ICSC in Europe
A good number of saints from Europe, including 60 from Germany, attended the February International Chinese-speaking Conference in Taipei. The subject was "The Goal of the Lord's Recovery—to Bring Forth the One New Man." Please pray that all the saints in Europe will see the vision of the one new man and will have the personal experiences needed to save them from their cultures and to bring forth and live out the one new man on earth today.
Polish Recovery Version
The Polish Recovery Version NT is available beginning this month! Last week, 15 saints in Krakow distributed copies of the NT along with an insert on how to use it, plus The Basic Elements of Christian Life. Over these next two weeks, there will be open days at the universities for the incoming students for the 2018 autumn semester—one was last week and another three universities are this week. Please pray that the Lord would open to us a door to reach many Polish seeking students in these universities.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 5 of The Genuine Church Life. After next week, we will begin The Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1 (Winter Training).
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in Los Angeles will meet together on Lord's Day, May 6 at LA Trade Tech College.
- College Conference will be April 6 to 8 in Anaheim. Registration due March 25.
- Junior High Brothers Conference will be April 20 to 22 at Oak Glen. Registration due April 8.
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, Missouri. Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- Information about Germany and Europe: see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of March 11
Fellowship—The Reality of the Church Life
"God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Cor. 1:9)
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin." (1 John 1:7)
Just as there is the circulation of blood in the human body, so there is a circulation in the Body of Christ—a circulation that the New Testament calls fellowship. This fellowship is the reality of the church life.
Fellowship is a common participation, a joint participation. Thus, to have fellowship is to have a corporate participation in something. Fellowship is the issue of eternal life and is actually the flow of the eternal life within the believers. In order to have the unique fellowship, we must live by and behave in the divine life, not in our natural life. To have fellowship with the Triune God in the apostles' fellowship is to put aside our private interests and join with the apostles and the Triune God for the carrying out of God's purpose. (The Genuine Church Life, msg 4, I.A-D)
Los Angeles
As a church, we have been praying for the Lord to increase His testimony in Los Angeles both in life and in number. As the number of people among us increases, we simultaneously want to reduce the number of persons until there is only one Person in the church—Christ Himself.
As we look to the Lord for increase, may we be more blended into one by putting off the old man and putting on the new man to take Christ as our unique Person. May all the saints in Los Angeles see the vision of the one new man and have the personal experiences needed to bring forth and live out the one new man on earth today!
GTCA Cities in California - Chico
GTCA is the carrying out of the burden to gospelize, truthize, and churchize America. This long-term labor is part of the one, unique work of the Lord to build up the Body of Christ. Twenty-two cities are targeted for ongoing care and labor in 2018. These cities have been selected based on local burdens and their proximity to nearby churches. Each week we will pray for one of the 2018 target cities in California.
Chico is about 90 miles north of the church in Sacramento and 75 miles south of the church in Redding. Cal State University-Chico and a community college are here. Currently seven saints in the recovery live here. FTTA gospel trips visited Chico in 2017 and this year. Pray for the follow-up with the many positively-responding students on campus, and for the gaining of more homes in this city.
FTTA-OL
The 2018 Term B of the Online Full-Time Training (FTTA-OL) begins March 14 and ends May 8. This program conducts the FTTA curriculum completely online.
May every saint who is enrolled be a diligent learner to help others learn and dig into the ministry materials. By the Lord's mercy, may more saints sanctify their time by studying God's Word and being constituted with the divine truth.
Germany
Continue to pray for those whom the Lord has called to live a life of the altar and the tent and move to Germany to spread the Lord's testimony. In particular, please pray:
- That the Lord will send experienced brothers who can provide leadership to the work in Germany
- That more young saints from outside Germany will gain admission to German universities
- That those who are migrating to Germany will find housing and jobs and obtain visas
- For the learning of the German language by the saints who have migrated
The Lord's Testimony in Europe
Please pray for the raising up of the Lord's testimony in major cities in Europe, including:
Lisbon, Portugal; Vienna, Austria; Sofia, Bulgaria; Thessaloniki, Greece; Zagreb, Croatia; Belgrade and Novi Sad, Serbia; Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland; Bilbao, Spain; Hamburg and Munich, Germany; Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Tirana, Albania; Valetta, Malta.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 4 of The Genuine Church Life.
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in Los Angeles will meet together on Lord's Day, May 6 at LA Trade Tech College.
- The College Conference will be April 6 to 8 in Anaheim. Registration due March 25.
- The International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, Missouri. Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- Information about Germany and Europe: see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of March 4
A Vessel to Contain the Lord and to Express Him
Jesus…came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Therefore they made Him a supper there; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of the ones reclining at table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of ointment, of very valuable pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. (John 12:1-3)
The issue of life is the church life as a house of feasting. The house of feasting is produced by the resurrection life; the church is the produce of the resurrection life. In the real church life the service to the Lord is rendered, the testimony of the Lord is seen, and the love toward the Lord is poured out; this is the real expression of the Body of the Lord, which is a vessel to contain the Lord and to express Him. (The Genuine Church Life, msg 3, II, II.A, II.H.4.b)
Lord, bring us fully into resurrection to feast with You and express You.
High School Sisters Conference
From March 9 to 11, sisters from across Southern California with gather at Oak Glen for the Spring 2018 High School Sisters Conference. For this conference we pray:
- for the Lord to prepare the hearts of all of the sisters in Southern California;
- that the young people would open to and experience the Lord as life who meets the need of every situation, condition, and person;
- and that the issue of touching this life, in their experience, would be a house of feasting where they learn to serve, testify, and love the Lord to the uttermost.
FTTA-MA
The spring term of the Middle-age Training in Anaheim begins March 12. Lord, release the saints from every restraint, and grace them inwardly to give themselves to begin or to continue this training!
Bibles for America
Radio spots advertising free Bibles from BfA aired two weeks ago on over 150 stations in major cities and smaller towns all over the U.S. The advertisements, announcing our free offer for a NT Recovery Version, were sponsored and produced by a brother in coordination with BfA. Please pray:
- For the people who heard the ads to be interested in receiving this unique free study Bible.
- For them to follow through and place an online order.
Europe
The Spring European university conference will be March 23 to 25. Please ask the Lord to release many students to register and attend the conference.
Germany
This weekend, March 9 to 11, there will be a German-speaking young people's conference.
South Africa
From March 9 to 11, the annual National Conference will take place in Pretoria, South Africa. Brothers Mark Raabe and Michael Stewart will be with us.
- It is a new conference venue in a much more central part of the province. We are grateful for this new arrangement but please pray for grace that the logistics and practical arrangements would be properly taken care of and not be a hindrance or distraction.
- May the Lord to release His up to date speaking related to the one new man.
- Pray that there would be many new and existing ones and that the Lord would specifically burden us whom to invite. The capacity of the venue has increased from 350 to 700, allowing for more attendees.
- May the Lord increase the blending during the conference weekend, both within the homes and in the times between the meetings.
Asia
In 1981, the testimony of the Lord's recovery was in only 8 of the 48 Asian countries. Through the spread of the ministry and the migration of the saints, now the testimony of the Lord's recovery can be seen in 36 Asian countries. In recent years, the labor and coordination between the local saints and overseas saints has resulted in the increase of the churches. The Recovery Version and the Life-Studies have also been translated into various Asian languages. By the saints being perfected to function, the churches have had much breakthrough in the gospel and in the spread of the testimonies.
However, we still need to pray for the 12 countries in Asia that do not yet have this testimony.
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/E-2018-02.pdf (English)
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Asia-2018-02.pdf (Chinese)
India
The current newsletter of the churches in India (at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer) has reports and photos on a brothers' training, propagation on campuses, participation in the International Chinese-Speaking Conference, and practice of the God-ordained way.
Pray for the ongoing translation of the Recovery Version into six Indian languages (with one addition language to be started), pray for the Lord's covering of the tripartite beings of all the translators so that the knowledge of Jehovah may fill the entire land of India. Please also remember the finances needed for this project.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 3 of The Genuine Church Life.
- Brothers High School Conference is March 23 to 25 at Oak Glen. Registration due March 11.
- College Conference will be April 6 to 8 in Anaheim. Registration due March 25.
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, Missouri. Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- Information about Germany and Europe: see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of February 25
Being Headed Up in Christ
"Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him." (Eph. 1:10)
"But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ." (Eph. 4:15)
The church is the heading up of God's chosen ones under the headship of Christ. In the proper church life we are being headed up in Christ. If we do not know what it is to be headed up in Christ, we cannot know the church. In the church life, we are taking the lead to be headed up in Christ. For this, we need to grow in life.
The first step in the heading up of all things in Christ is for God to bring His chosen ones, His sons, out of the universal collapse and to place them under the headship of Christ. When the church takes the lead to be headed up in Christ, God has a way to head up all other things. The church is the vessel used by God to solve His problems and to fulfill His purpose, which is to manifest Himself through man by mingling Himself with man. Eventually, the Body with Christ as the Head will be the universal Head over all things. (The Genuine Church Life, msg. 2, IV.B-D)
Los Angeles
Let us continue to pray for the Lord to increase in the church in Los Angeles for the sake of His testimony. In April 2017, our average Lord's Day attendance was 621. Our current goal is to reach 700 in the first half of 2018. Through a gospel living, one-on-one shepherding, prevailing prayers in twos and threes, and nourishing and perfecting in small groups, may the Lord add together, day by day, those who are being saved (Acts 2:47).
Italy
The Italian general election is due to be held on March 4. Lord, You are "the Ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5). We agree with Your sovereignty over the earth for these elections and we ask You to have Your way for Your move in Europe!
Germany
Please continue to pray:
- That many seeking ones who received a free Bible will be shepherded into the church life
- For the raising up of lampstands in many cities that were visited after the fall ITERO
- That the Lord will send experienced brothers who can provide leadership to the work in Germany
- That more young saints from outside Germany will gain admission to German universities
- That those who are emigrating to Germany will find housing and jobs and obtain visas
- For the learning of the German language by the saints who have emigrated
- For the increase, strengthening, and building up of all the existing churches in Germany
UK Building Project
The present burden is to expand Woodland Camp into a one-week training and weekend retreat facility with capacity to accommodate and train 200 saints per week. The estimated cost is approximately $2.5 million. Please pray that these funds can be available in a timely way through the giving of the saints and the churches so that the construction can be completed by the end of 2018.
For information regarding the urgent need to construct training facilities in London and how to make online donations, click on the link 'UK Building Project' at https://amanatrust.org.uk. Alternatively, you may give to the church here, designated for UK Building Fund.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 2 of The Genuine Church Life.
- High School Conferences at Oak Glen: for sisters, March 9 to 11 (registration due February 25); for brothers, March 23 to 25 (registration due March 11).
- College Conference will be April 6 to 8 in Anaheim. Registration due March 25.
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, Missouri. Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- Information about Germany and Europe: see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of February 18
The Genuine Church Life
"I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly." (John 10:10b)
"The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit." (1 Cor. 15:45b)
If we do not have Christ as life, we do not have the church life. The church life is simply Christ as life realized by us in a corporate way. (The Genuine Church Life, msg. 1, IV.B.)
In the real church life the service to the Lord is rendered, the testimony of the Lord is seen, and the love toward the Lord is poured out; this is the real expression of the Body of the Lord, which is a vessel to contain the Lord and to express Him. (The Genuine Church Life, Banner 1)
International Chinese-Speaking Conference
The general subject of this past weekend's ICSC was "The Goal of the Lord's Recovery—To Bring Forth the One New Man." Over 30,000 saints from 62 countries attended this conference, including 25 from Los Angeles. Before the conference, 1700 international saints participated in blending trips among the churches in Taiwan. Another 3000 saints are on similar trips this week.
Please pray that:
- The Lord would show us all this vision of the one new man and grant us a living that would carry out its practical existence to bring Him back.
- These blending trips would issue in more seeing and experiencing of the reality of the one new man.
Memorial Day Conference
The 2018 International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, Missouri. Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA who plan to attend are requested to RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) and http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children) by April 29.
Please pray that the Lord will take more crucial steps in the advancement of His purpose during this gathering. Also pray that many be released and empowered to attend.
Los Angeles Hall 2
This weekend, February 24 to 25, the saints meeting in Hall 2 of the church in Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley) will be going to Oak Glen for a family retreat. Almost 150 saints are expected to attend. The burden of the time is to blend the saints together and seek the Lord corporately for a new beginning to our church life this year. Please pray that all the saints would be encouraged and blended together, and that they would freshly consecrate themselves to the Lord and to more church life in 2018.
FTTA
The spring term begins this week on February 19. 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 churches!
Europe
Please pray:
- For the radio broadcasts in the UK and Spain and the continuing distribution of the New Testament Recovery Version and other free ministry publications in all the European languages.
- For the shepherding of the seeking ones and their entering into the church life.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 1 of The Genuine Church Life (Thanksgiving Conference).
- High School Conferences at Oak Glen: for sisters, March 9 to 11 (registration due February 25); for brothers, March 23 to 25 (registration due March 11).
- College Conference will be April 6 to 8 in Anaheim. Registration due March 25.
- Information about Germany and Europe: see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of February 11
Being Saturated, Filled, and Permeated with Christ
"And have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all." (Col. 3:10-11)
In the new man Christ is all. In the church as the new man, Christ is everything. This implies that He is every brother and every sister. This also implies that every brother and sister must be constituted of Christ. In the new man there cannot be Jewish members and Gentile members; there can only be Christ-members. If we would be constituted of Christ, Christ must be added into us more and more. We must be permeated with Christ, saturated with Christ, and have Christ organically wrought into our being. Eventually, we shall be replaced by Christ. Then, in reality, He will be all and in all. He will be every member, every part, of the new man.
The new man does not come into existence by taking Christians from various countries and bringing them together. That would be a new organization, not the new man. The new man comes into being as we are saturated, filled, and permeated with Christ and replaced by Him through an organic process. The new man is Christ in all the saints permeating us and replacing us until all natural distinctions have been eliminated and everyone is constituted of Christ. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 454-455)
International Chinese-Speaking Conference
The 2018 ICSC will take place this weekend, February 16 to 18, in Taipei. Up to 30,000 saints are expected to attend from all over the world, including about 25 saints from Los Angeles.
May the Lord take crucial steps in the advancement of His purpose during this gathering. May this conference and related church visitation trips issue in more of our being saturated, filled, and permeated with Christ, and our being replaced by Christ, to bring forth the new man.
Germany
Please pray:
- For the gaining of the young German working professionals, including those initially contacted during the Bible distributions in October.
- That the Lord would release some homes for the migrants' families as shepherds' tents in the different areas of Germany where they are living. Pray that they would be built up together and care for one another with cherishing and nourishing.
- For two or three homes to be open for the church life in many cities for raising up the church life.
- For the increase, strengthening, and building up of all the existing churches in Germany.
Announcements
-
Morning revival: Weeks 8 AND 9 of The Recovery of the Church.
Next week we will use The Genuine Church Life (Thanksgiving Conference). - High School Conferences at Oak Glen: for sisters, March 9 to 11 (registration due February 25); for brothers, March 23 to 25 (registration due March 11).
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City, Missouri. Conference and hotel information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- Information about Germany and Europe: see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.