Zion

Psalm 87:2: “Jehovah loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” Psalm 87 reveals that God’s heart is set on Zion with Christ within it. Zion within Jerusalem typifies the overcomers, the perfected and matured God-men, within the church as the heavenly Jerusalem. (Psalms, msg 3) O Lord, perfect us and mature us!

International Chinese-Speaking Conference

The 2012 International Chinese-Speaking Conference will be January 25-26 in Taipei. Church visiting in Taiwan will be January 27-29.

GTCA

Our burden is to gospelize, truthize, and churchize the United States and Canada. This long-term labor is part of the one, unique work of the Lord to propagate his testimony to build up the Body of Christ. This coordinated endeavor requires continued labor and steadfast prayer through this decade and beyond. We can all participate by praying, giving, and going (short-term visits or migrations).

In 2009 to 2011, thirty new churches began meeting in North America. Praise Him!

The 6 minute video GTCA December 2011 Update, shown at the end of the winter training, is at the top of the list of videos at http://gtca.us/videos/. Contact information for the fifteen 2012 cities is at http://gtca.us/2012-cities/.

Upholding the Truth

The Triune God and His word are the truth. The church is the pillar and base upholding and testifying this truth. Petition the Lord for His mercy that we could cooperate with Him
* to be constituted more with truth, and
* to release the truth more in our speaking and on the internet.

FTTA Gospel Trips

Colossians 1:5b-6: “the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, even as it is also in all the world, bearing fruit and growing, as also in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” May this word be the testimony in every destination of the gospel trips. Trips will be between January 24 and February 14. At least 250 saints, mostly FTTA trainees, will go in teams to 15 cities in the U.S., 6 nations in Asia, 11 in Europe, 4 in South America, and South Africa. Specific dates and locations are in a list at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.

Santa Barbara Campus Sowing Time

“Strengthen, O God, that which You have done for us” (Psalm 68:28b). This week Monday evening through Saturday morning is gospel sowing time on the UCSB campus. Participants on the campus include local students, full timers from UCLA, two FTTA trainees, and some from CSUN. Please petition the Lord that:
- the students that have been with us in 2011 will taste the Lord in the gospel flowing out,
- He will have a way to reach those He has called to make them a new crop of fruit for 2012,
- He will take care of all the practical details,
- Santa Barbara community saints will be refreshed in gospelizing and going out even though this time is focused on the campus.

Midwest College Conference

There will be a Midwest College Conference in the Midwest this weekend, January 20-22, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ken Walker and Stephen Yowell will be going to care for this time, and appreciate prayers from the church in Los Angeles for the Lord’s rich blessing.

Please pray that the college students from all over the Midwest would enter into the experience and enjoyment of Christ as their portion as seen in Colossians. The brothers there are very burdened that the Lord would continue to have a new beginning in this area, and that the students really would see, experience, and enjoy Christ as their Good Land, the Reality of all Positive things, the New Man, and as the Word dwelling in them richly!

Australia

Dick Taylor is with the church in Perth, Australia until Tuesday. Wednesday he is with the church in Sydney, and Thursday he returns to Los Angeles. Pray that Australia be full of people experiencing, enjoying, and expressing Christ. In addition, continue to support the traveling brothers in prayer that they be strengthened in spirit, soul, and body for a rich outflow of truth and life.

Philippines

In the early morning of December 16 a flash flood caused by a typhoon swept through the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City in the southern Philippines causing widespread damage and loss of life. Many who died were swept away as they were sleeping. To date, the number of dead or unaccounted for is over 2000. A more complete report is here.

At such a time of suffering and loss, we encourage all the churches and saints in the Lord’s recovery to bear the burden to pray for the dear saints in the southern Philippines and according to the Lord’s leading make a financial offering to help restore the saints to their homes. Offerings designated for “Philippines Relief” can be made payable to the church or given through LME at <http://www.lordsmove.org/offerings.html].

San Luis Obispo

Through your prayers the Lord is continuing to move in San Luis Obispo and specifically on the Cal Poly campus. Last week we met with 5 of our new ones on campus; 6 new ones and 11 total in our Friday club Bible Study; 6 new ones and 19 total Saturday night; and 2 new students and 19 total in the Lord’s Day meeting.

We were very blessed to have a couple from Huntington Beach join us for the weekend and a student also from Huntington Beach who is hoping to get accepted into Cal Poly for the Fall.

We hope you can pray for our GTCA week when 6 to 7 FTTA saints join us to blend with our new students and to help build up our campus club. We have been praying twice a week with them to prepare the way for the Lord to take a further step on the campus and with the church.

Again we thank the Lord for His continual supply through your prayers for the church in San Luis Obispo.

Announcements

1. Morning revival: The Four Great Pillars in the Lord’s Recovery, week 7. A brother’s written summary of ITERO message 7, which may be useful as a supplement to the morning revival book, is at http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/how-to-build-the-church/.
2. The 2012 Spring Russian-Speaking Conference will be in Sacramento March 23-25. The registration deadline is March 4. Details are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
3. An invitation to the spring conference in Israel at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/. Registration deadline is April 1.

“He will drop like rain upon mown grass.” (Psalm 72:6)
“And He will have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River unto the ends of the earth.” (Psalm 72:8)

Psalm 72 reveals the reigning Christ recovering the earth by watering.  The whole earth is a dry and barren wilderness, and many evil things spring forth from this drought and dryness. The Lord Jesus will be the King, not merely by exercising power to subdue others but mainly by supplying living water to satisfy the thirsty ones (Rev. 22:17).

“More numerous than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause;…” (Psalm 69:4)
“Then I said, Behold, I have come; In the scroll of the book It is written concerning Me.” (Psalm 40:7)

Psalm 69 and 40 are two excellent Psalms that show us Christ in His sufferings and Christ as the unique factor to enact God’s New Testament economy, or plan. When we look at Psalm 69 which was written by David and describes his sufferings in view of the New Testament, we can see clearly that David’s sufferings are a type or picture of the suffering Christ in the New Testament. As we review both Psalm 69 and 40 we realize that the suffering that Christ went through in His life and on the cross issued in enacting a new covenant, a new testament and producing a new creation!

“Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee before Him.” (Psalm 68:1)

Psalm 68 reveals Christ as the center of God’s move on the earth.  God’s move is typified by the Ark setting out from Mt. Sinai, traveling through the wilderness, and eventually to Mount Zion, God’s dwelling place.  In fulfillment of this type, God’s move began with Christ’s incarnation, continued through His human living with His crucifixion and resurrection, and concluded with Christ’s ascension to Zion in the heavens and the establishing of the church.

“My heart overflows with a good matter; I speak what I have composed concerning the King…” (Psalm 45:1)
“…Her garment is a woven work inwrought with gold” (Psalm 45:13b)
“She will be led to the King in embroidered clothing;…” (Psalm 45:14a)

An overview of the church in Los Angeles’ study of Psalm 45 in Fall 2011. Psalm 45 is a praise to Christ the King, who is typified by Solomon. It is a song of love describing the virtue of Christ and His bride who is clothed with Christ as her righteousness. This lovely psalm, written on the occasion of a literal wedding, gives us insight in the coming wedding, the true royal wedding, between Christ and His bride. May all the believers in Christ be prepared for that coming wedding day!

“Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1)

Psalm 23 concerns Christ as the Shepherd in His resurrection.  The resurrected Christ is the Shepherd (Heb. 13:20) and the church produced by Christ’s resurrection is His flock (1 Pet. 5:2). Under His all-inclusive, tender care, “I will lack nothing.”

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1a)
“I will declare Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You” (Psalm 22:22)

The subject of Psalm 22 is the Christ who has passed through His redeeming death and entered into His church-producing resurrection.  Psalm 22:1-21 gives a detailed picture of Christ in His suffering of death as typified by David in his suffering, but verses 22-31 refer to Christ in His resurrection, as typified by Solomon in his kingly reign.

“O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)

Psalm 8 is an inspired praise on the excellency of Christ.  This psalm speaks of the Lord’s incarnation, human living, death, resurrection, ascension, the Body of Christ, His coming back, and His kingdom.  Psalm 8 shows that God’s purpose and plan for man to express Him with His image and to represent Him has never changed.  Even though the first man, Adam, failed to accomplish God’s purpose for man, a second man, Jesus, has come to fulfill God’s purpose.