March

Mar 1, 2023 by LMAsia

Cambodia

Church in Siem Reap

In the latter half of 2022, as the pandemic subsided, the entire country began to regain its vibrancy, and the churches received blessings of the breasts and of the womb (Gen. 49:25). In northern Cambodia, the church in Siem Reap experienced an increase in numbers and the spiritual growth among the saints in the past six months.

After the pandemic eased in May 2022, the brothers encouraged the saints to resume their weekly gospel preaching and set aside specific time slots for it each week. In the past, we tried various methods, such as language teaching, outdoor activities, or love feasts, to reach people, but we felt something was missing. Last year, we began using the Mystery of Human Life to directly speak to people and found a few genuine seeking ones and homes that were open to the Lord. Some had previously wished to become Christians, while others had briefly attended denominational services and were regained by the Lord through the contact of the saints.

In addition, we resumed face-to-face home meetings and endeavored to have 1.5 times the number of people in the home meetings than in the Lord’s table meeting each week. Through persistent weekly visit, some saints who had previously been wavering in their faith were able to feel the love and support of the saints and became desirous of the church life. After meeting regularly with the new ones or the newly recovered saints on a weekly basis, we invited them to participate in daily morning revival. Every morning, we would spend 10-15 minutes on the phone releasing our spirits to call on the Lord’s name, pray-read the Lord’s word, read the Holy Words for Morning Revival, and receive light from the interpreted word. Many new ones testified that their desire for the Lord’s word has deepened because of the practice of morning revival, and they spontaneously began to share and minister the Lord’s word in the meetings.

Through this the Lord began to work marvelously in many saints. Some newly saved young people treasured the church life so much that they began to bring their relatives, friends, and family members to the gatherings and bore strong testimony for the Lord at home. Some middle-aged saints, who were newly recovered because of the weekly visits of the saints and daily morning revival, began to have a burden for the salvation of their neighbors, relatives, and friends. They not only actively invited the saints to preach the gospel together but also began to shepherd others more spontaneously and encouraged those around them to participate in the church life. A saint who opened his home was not accepted by his family and friends, who had gathered in denominations for many years, about his decision to be in the Lord’s recovery. However, he treasured the church life and, because of the enlightenment of the Lord’s word, boldly testified for the Lord, pointing out to them that our belief and church life practices, far from being deviated from the truth, were more in line with the Bible than those of the denomination, and that brotherly love described in the Bible was realized among us.

The Establishment of the church in Serei Saophoan

In 2023, the saints began to propagate in Serei Saophoan, a provincial capital in northern Cambodia, with the goal of raising up the testimony of the Lord’s recovery there. Many saints had previously labored there but then moved away, thus unable to establish something solid. Therefore, the burden this time was not only to raise up a local church but also to raise up the local saints to be pillars, so that the testimony can be stable.

Through the fellowship of the Body, a responsible brother of the church in Phkoam, a nearby locality, received the burden and began spending three days a week in Serei Saophoan, laboring together with the saints to establish the church life. Through regular visits, many saints in Serei Saophoan were recovered, including an elderly brother who became very fervent. Whenever there was a gathering, he eagerly invited his neighbors, relatives, and friends to come, which greatly encouraged everyone. In addition, several saints from the church in Phkoam would go to Serei Saophoan every Lord’s Day to strengthen the local testimony.

With the local saints receiving the burden and the support of neighboring churches, the church in Serei Saophoan was officially established on January 22. Currently, around 15 people, including 7-10 local saints and some saints from neighboring churches, regularly attend the Lord’s table meeting every week. We can truly testify that this is absolutely the move of God. We did not do anything special, but through prayer, fellowship, and going out to visit people, and the Lord opened the way to establish His testimony. Going forward, we hope that through preaching the gospel and expanding the capacity of shepherding, the local testimony would be stabilized and practical church life can be carried out, so that a model of the church life would be established to bring in a revival among the churches in Cambodia.

Pakistan

The National Conference

Thank the Lord for His mercy. Having been suspended for two years since the outbreak of the pandemic, the annual National Conference in Pakistan finally resumed on November 12-13 last year. Approximately 240 saints from the churches in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad (a newly-propagated city) attended the conference, along with some brothers and sisters from other Christian groups. This was by far the largest number since such conference was held in Pakistan. This year, brothers from Germany were invited to coordinate with the local brothers in releasing the messages.

The subject of the conference was “God’s Grace in His Economy” based on last year’s International Chinese-Speaking Conference. Through the ministry messages, the brothers and sisters were helped to have a great turn from their natural understanding of grace. They realized that grace was not outward material blessings. Rather, grace is God Himself, and we need to continuously receive the transmission of the Spirit of grace. On the one hand, this grace causes us to grow in life and enables us to reign in life; on the other hand, this grace constitutes us to become the New Jerusalem, which is the exhibition of God’s grace. The brothers and sisters were deeply encouraged, and in their sharing consecrated to live a life of enjoying grace. In the Lord’s table meeting, the brothers and sisters testified that we were one Body. Even saints from other Christian groups, including some pastors, attended the conference and appreciated the word of the ministry. After the conference, some gospel friends expressed their desire to continue to meet with us.

We thank the Lord and pray that the words received at the conference will have a profound impact on our lives. May we be those who enjoy grace corporately and receive God’s dispensing.

National Brothers’ Training

“The Bible clearly reveals that in every age, God gives only one vision to man; man serves God according to this vision. Therefore, those who want to follow and serve the Lord must see the vision of the Lord.”－The Vision of the Age

Last November, brothers from Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad came together at the Lahore meeting hall to participate in the National Brothers’ Training. They set aside two weeks to be perfected in the matter of vision, life and service. Everyday the training started at six o’clock in the morning with the brothers rising from bed, having the morning revival, cleaning the surroundings, and attending classes. The regulated schedule allowed the brothers to learn to be punctual and be trained in their character.

During the training, several ministry books were shared on, including “The Vision of the Age,” “The Experience of Life,” and “The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word.” In the series of messages on “The Experience of Life”, the brothers were deeply impressed with the matter of dealing with the flesh and the self. They saw that our old man is God’s greatest enemy as he hinders the building of God. For this reason, we must learn to be dealt with by the Lord and let Him have a way. Not only did everyone see the need for our inner being to be dealt with and cleared up, but also realize the outward need to learn to coordinate and function organically in the church life. Three overseas brothers were invited to fellowship online with the brothers. Everyone received considerable encouragement and help, especially in the matter of raising children. They also saw the need for mutual shepherding at home and the shepherding of children according to God for them to become useful vessels in God’s hand.

Before the training ended, one of the brothers shared a hymn that touched everyone’s heart: “Lord Jesus, fully gain our heart. You are our only love. Lord, keep our heart pure to love You and love Your church. Oh, Lord! Grow more in us and multiply! Build the beloved and glorious church for which You gave Your life. To live and suffer for you, what glory and splendor!” Through this hymn, the brothers consecrated themselves anew for Christ and the church. After the training, some brothers continued to diligently exercise by rising at 5 in the morning to visit the new ones at home for morning revival and to learn how to mutually shepherd one another at home. Let us pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen the brothers and have a strong testimony throughout Pakistan.