August
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is an oil rich, modern, secular, Muslim, Turkic nation located in the South Caucasus Region. It is bordered by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Iran. Azerbaijan shares the coast of the Caspian Sea with Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Azerbaijan is an important node on the historical ‘Silk Road’ linking China and india with Europe and Turkey and linking Iran with Russia. There are long standing global interests in the region’s abundant natural resources.
The population of Azerbaijan is 10 million. This nation was under Russian domination for 200 years. During the 70 years of Soviet rule which ended in 1991, Russian culture became quite pervasive in Azerbaijan. Today 50-60% of the population read and speak Russian fluently. Younger professionals can handle English language at a very basic level.
Presently the saints are meeting together regularly, including some international students and local friends. We are enjoying the riches released from the New Testament ministry, especially through the Recovery Version of the Bible, the Life-study messages, and the video, audio and HWMR material associated with the seven annual feasts and regional conferences. The new ones among us are also receiving these revelations and the nourishment, and are being led into the exercise of their regenerated spirit, to pray audibly and to speak for the Lord in the meetings to substantiate their growth for the building up of the Body of Christ.
So far saints from Central Asia, Germany, Hong Kong, Moscow, Ukraine, UK and the US have visited us since 2019. In addition to physical visitations, dozens of saints have joined our weekly zoom meetings on Friday nights and for the Lord’s Table meetings.
The serving ones in Moscow actively support translation into Azerbaijani of basic literature such as the Mystery of Human Life (MHL) and the six Russian gospel booklets released in 1992. These are legally distributed through a local publisher as a seed sown to meet the needs of the believers and seeking ones.
This year a decision was made to step up the translation and distribution of other key publications in both Russian and Azerbaijani such as Basic Elements of the Christian Life – Sets one and two, plus spiritual classics in Russian. This will be an ongoing project.
As many as 50 believers meeting elsewhere receive supply and nourishment through the ministry. They have all received the MHL and the translated ministry booklets, both in Russian and Azerbaijani. They express appreciation for these materials, and share the materials with their friends and contacts in their personal outreach.
Pray burdens:
1. For the seven burning eyes of the Lion-Lamb to continue to search out and bring out the called ones.
2. For each of the campus saints, the community saints and friends to grow in life for the building work of God through our regular visitation, feeding and shepherding.
3. For the distribution of the new Azerbaijani and Russian literature to find fertile ground, take root, and bear fruit.
4. For necessary visas to be released for the saints in an appropriate manner.
Pakistan
Literature work
Since the beginning of the Lord’s move in Pakistan in 2012, some ministry titles have been successively translated into Urdu. So far, 58 ministry titles, the Life-study of Genesis, the Holy Word for Morning Revival from 36 conferences and trainings, and some home meeting materials have been translated. Seven Rhema books have been translated and are ready for typesetting, and 501 hymns have been translated and recorded. The saints have also done a preliminary translation of the verses of the Recovery Version of the New Testament to meet the needs of shepherding and the day-to-day church life.
The following is a testimony given by a brother serving on translation:
“I grew up in a middle-class family and I am thankful to my parents for training me well and keeping me in the Lord. Before coming into the Lord’s recovery, I had completed one Seminary degree and was on my way to the other degree. As a pastor, I was active in the Lord’s service and tutoring some children in my community.
One day a brother from overseas came to give a message in the house where I was giving tuition. The message was on the mingled spirit which was very strange and new to me. I had never heard such a word before. He shared that God is now a life-giving Spirit and is living in and mingled with our spirit. I had been serving the Lord for a while and thinking that I knew everything, but these words were completely new to me and did not let me sleep.
This brother then kept in touch with me and my family. One day he invited me to a five-day training. These five days were the most important and transformative days of my life. There was a special message in the training concerning God’s economy. This message touched my heart so much and made me realize that my past service was all in vain in the eyes of God. I repented in tears before the Lord, especially for my service. I decided not to go back. I gave up everything, that is, my old service, status, reputation, etc. Although I have nothing now, my joy in the Lord is indescribable because the Lord is with me.
I have been in the Lord’s recovery for over seven years and have learned to live Christ as my life. I now serve as a translator to translate the English ministry books into Urdu. I have been trained to draw near to Him in the service. God has trained me a lot, especially during the translation of the Life-study of Genesis. Sometimes it seems as if God is speaking right in front of me. I know that all this is for the Lord, for His work, and for His move on earth. May God keep me under His blood.”
Three-month Training
As the brothers felt it necessary to raise up a number of young people to continue the Lord’s testimony and work in Pakistan, a three-month perfecting training for the young people was initiated this January. A total of 16 young people from all over the country participated. The purpose of the training was to have the young people live corporately to practice the Body life, to be strengthened in their spiritual life, to be edified, to learn to read the Scripture, to pray, and to build up a good character. With comprehensive and rich courses as well as a regular timetable, the saints had a foretaste of the full-time training. Many of them testified that they had many breakthroughs in truth, life, character, and prophesying. They also enjoyed and gained Christ more. The following are some of their testimonies.
“I enjoyed very much having personal prayer times. I could feel His awesome presence as if I was talking with Him face to face. I want to keep this sweet relationship with my lovely and beloved Jesus forever.”
“I received revelation and learned what prophesying was all about. I also learned to give enough time to study the Word for the preparation of a prophecy. I will continue in this practice so that I can dispense Christ into others through prophesying.”
“I learned how to pray according to God. Before I used to pray, but I felt emptiness within me even after praying. But when I started waiting for God’s initiation before praying, I felt satisfaction, peace and enjoyment within me after praying.”
“I especially cherish the time when we corporately shared our life experiences together every evening. I had vague experiences of Christ before coming to the training because my conscience was weak. I learned to deal with my conscience and thus made it clean before the Lord in the training.”
“Before coming to this training, my life was undisciplined. But in the training I learned that God’s servant needs to be diligent. I started to finish everything on time. May the Lord strengthen me more, so that I can continue practicing what I have learned after the training.”
“I was deeply touched by the Lord Jesus’ great love toward me through a hymn and was brought to tears. I consecrated my whole life and everything to the Lord to serve Him that my life can be a living and fragrant testimony of Him.”
“I received a revelation that we only need to see Christ in our brothers and sisters. To have such an experience, Christ needs to grow in me first. I enjoyed it very much and was very happy. Now when I look at others in the church life, I just see Christ in them.”
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