Written by aspiring author Nadia Beatrix Derosier and illustrated by (currently) amateur artists Katt Meer and Nether Taire, the book 'Wondering Mind, Wandering Soul' is a collection of poems with occasional pictures. This is a first attempt at publishing for all people involved in the creation of this project, and, hopefully, the first of many creations to enter the market by them.

This issue of The Ministry of the Word contains a complete record of the twelve messages given during the December 2023 semiannual training, held in Anaheim, California. The Key Statements on the following page embody and summarize the crucial truths and main burdens covered in these twelve messages.

Christian poetry with an unusual twist. This anthology is designed to show how God is there for us in all sorts of ways throughout the challenging situations we face in life. The author writes from the heart and personal experience and, by sharing her poems, hopes to encourage others in their relationship with God when times are tough. This book also includes sixteen collaborative Christian poems with Michael Grgich (MAG), one poetic short story, and many reassuring Bible quotes.

This book is intended as an aid to believers in developing a daily time of morning revival with the Lord in His word. At the same time, it provides a limited review of the semiannual training held December 25-30, 2023, in Anaheim, California, on “Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ Typified by the Good Land for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, for the Reality and the Manifestation of the Kingdom, and for the Bride to Make Herself Ready for the Lord’s Coming.” Through intimate contact with the Lord in His word, the believers can be constituted with life and truth and thereby equipped to prophesy in the meetings of the church unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

This issue of The Ministry contains the third and fourth messages given by Brother Lee to the co-workers in Southern California in September 1996. These messages comprise a timely, loving warning from our brother to beware of four destructive matters: ambition, pride, self-justification and exposing others’ failures and defects, and not conforming to the death of Christ. Trouble after trouble has come to the Lord’s recovery over the years simply because of these four matters. But if we will deal with these four matters, the Lord’s recovery will immediately have a revival. In addition to dealing with these four matters, we must also be right in following others. In actuality, our leading is not a person but the divine truth, the divine vision. Consequently, our following others must be according to the divine truth and the divine vision. The next three messages in this issue are the concluding messages of the Living Stream Ministry’s Summer Training of 1998 on the Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Message Ten emphasizes the crucial matter of the dividing of soul and spirit for the experience of the reality of the Sabbath rest. Message Eleven indicates strongly that in order for the believers to be brought on to maturity (Heb. 6:1), we must progress from the word of the beginning of Christ—the milk—to the word of righteousness—the solid food. Message Twelve, as a conclusion to the summer training, stresses the critical need of being transformed and of being matured. To be transformed is to be metabolically changed in our natural life, whereas to be matured is to be filled with the divine life that changes us. We need to go on, to be brought on, to maturity by forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, pursuing toward the fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ for the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennial kingdom. Ultimately, the Lord’s desire to bring us on to maturity must be matched by our willing cooperation with His gracious work. Lastly, we include a report concerning the International Elders’ Training in October 1998, held on the new campus for the ministry in Anaheim, California.

This issue of The Ministry contains the third and fourth messages given by Brother Lee to the co-workers in Southern California in September 1996. These messages comprise a timely, loving warning from our brother to beware of four destructive matters: ambition, pride, self-justification and exposing others’ failures and defects, and not conforming to the death of Christ. Trouble after trouble has come to the Lord’s recovery over the years simply because of these four matters. But if we will deal with these four matters, the Lord’s recovery will immediately have a revival. In addition to dealing with these four matters, we must also be right in following others. In actuality, our leading is not a person but the divine truth, the divine vision. Consequently, our following others must be according to the divine truth and the divine vision. The next three messages in this issue are the concluding messages of the Living Stream Ministry’s Summer Training of 1998 on the Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Message Ten emphasizes the crucial matter of the dividing of soul and spirit for the experience of the reality of the Sabbath rest. Message Eleven indicates strongly that in order for the believers to be brought on to maturity (Heb. 6:1), we must progress from the word of the beginning of Christ—the milk—to the word of righteousness—the solid food. Message Twelve, as a conclusion to the summer training, stresses the critical need of being transformed and of being matured. To be transformed is to be metabolically changed in our natural life, whereas to be matured is to be filled with the divine life that changes us. We need to go on, to be brought on, to maturity by forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, pursuing toward the fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ for the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennial kingdom. Ultimately, the Lord’s desire to bring us on to maturity must be matched by our willing cooperation with His gracious work. Lastly, we include a report concerning the International Elders’ Training in October 1998, held on the new campus for the ministry in Anaheim, California.

This book is intended as an aid to believers in developing a daily time of morning revival with the Lord in His word. At the same time, it provides a limited review of the semiannual training held December 25-30, 2023, in Anaheim, California, on “Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ Typified by the Good Land for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, for the Reality and the Manifestation of the Kingdom, and for the Bride to Make Herself Ready for the Lord’s Coming.” Through intimate contact with the Lord in His word, the believers can be constituted with life and truth and thereby equipped to prophesy in the meetings of the church unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

Throughout the centuries, translations of the Bible have steadily improved. In general, each new translation inherits from previous ones and opens the way for later ones. While a new translation derives help from its predecessors, it should go further. The Recovery Version of the New Testament, following the precedent set by the major authoritative English versions and taking these versions as reference, not only incorporates lessons learned from an examination of others’ practices but also attempts to avoid biases and inaccurate judgments. This version, frequently guided by other versions, attempts to provide the best utterance for the revelation in the divine Word, that it may be expressed in the English language with the greatest accuracy. Translating the Bible depends not only on an adequate comprehension of the original language but also on a proper understanding of the divine revelation in the holy Word. Throughout the centuries the understanding of the divine revelation possessed by the saints has always been based upon the light they received, and this understanding has progressed steadily. The consummation of this understanding forms the basis of this translation and its footnotes. Hence, this translation and the accompanying footnotes could be called the “crystallization” of the understanding of the divine revelation which the saints everywhere have attained to in the past two thousand years. It is our hope that the Recovery Version will carry on the heritage that it has received and will pave the way for future generations. As with any New Testament translation, the determination of the original Greek text, based upon the available manuscripts, forms the basis for the text of the Recovery Version of the New Testament. The Recovery Version follows, for the most part, the Nestle-Aland Greek text as found in Novum Testamentum Graece (26th edition). However, in determining the original form of any verse, the translators of the Recovery Version gave careful consideration to the larger context of chapter and book and to similar portions of the New Testament. The most recently discovered manuscripts or the manuscripts of oldest date are not necessarily the most accurate or reliable; hence, the determination of the text for this version was based largely upon the principle stated above. Departures from the Nestle-Aland text are sometimes indicated in the footnotes. Italicized words in the verses indicate supplied words, not found in the Greek text. Quotation marks are used to indicate close quotation from the Old Testament. The Recovery Version embodies extensive research into the meaning of the original text and attempts to express this meaning with English that is to the point, easy to understand, and readable. In those places where it is difficult to express the exact meaning of the original Greek, explanatory footnotes have been supplied. The subject provided at the beginning of each book and the outline of each book take the historical facts as their base and express the spiritual meaning in each book. The footnotes stress the revelation of the truth, the spiritual light, and the supply of life more than history, geography, and persons. The cross-references lead not only to other verses with the same expressions and facts but also to other matters related to the spiritual revelation in the divine Word.

Writer Jeffrey Poppy writes a stunningly candid book based on his life experiences in Jeff the Roofer: Reflections of a Double Negative Life. Poppy was born into life with drama-as a newborn he had to have a blood transfusion. Growing up with an abusive father, he relived the abuse by self-destruction through his teenage years and into adulthood. Poppy played out his destruction in various ways-a near death gunshot wound, alcoholism, drugs, three failed marriages, six trips to rehab and then homeless. All avenues led to the same place-his own inner demons, until he entered an in-house treatment center. Upon release, Poppy traveled to Amsterdam and met his muse who inspired his creative poetry. Poppy entered a song-writing contest, won second place and traveled back to the United States landing in Nashville, Tennessee. He recorded 42 of his own songs-all inspired by his tenuous and amazing journey that finally released his demons and enabled him to find his own path. Jeff the Roofer: Reflections of a Double Negative Life begins with the song, The Times, that illustrates his quests and questions of life's meaning for him, and the song, Just Another Day takes him on the journey from inner strife to see freedom and triumph over self- destructive and abusive ways. Interwoven with heart wrenching storytelling are 28 compositions that chronicle his unsteady journey to recovery. This beautifully descriptive book is a compelling and inspiring narration of prose and lyrics that expertly encapsulate one man's escape from the cycle of abuse and self-destruction. Jeffrey Poppy is a writer, poet, songwriter, and craftsman. Mr. Poppy is currently writing his second novel and lives with his beloved dog in Durant, Oklahoma. Publisher's website: http: //www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/JeffTheRooferReflectionsOfADouble NegativeLife.htm

The Sword For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) In defining a sword we know that it is a bladed weapon, used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The sword consists of a straight blade with two edges, usually extremely sharp. The objective of a sword in battle was to maim or inflict painful and severe wounds to the body of their enemy, by means of mangling, mutilating, and injuring to render the opponent helpless, and if these methods were unsuccessful, the last resort was to take the life of their opponent by killing. Just as the natural sword had its uses, even so the spiritual sword? The natural sword may maim or kill physically, while the spiritual sword renders the demonic host helpless through its destroying power. We must always keep in mind as believers that we have authority through the word of God which is symbolized by the sword. In history, the sword is said to be the emblem of military honor, such as in the medieval times when someone was honored as a knight by a monarch or political leader for service to their country. This was carried out by touching the shoulders of the honored person with the sword. Though there are many types of swords, the main concept was the same throughout history, to protect and defend. In the above mentioned scripture, the sword was used as a symbol of the word of God! A proper sword in its making was tempered very carefully, meaning that it was heated at a certain temperature, beaten into form by a sword-smith on an anvil and cooled at a predetermined degree to ensure its effectiveness. The reason for fashioning the sword in this manner was to ensure that when the combatant entered into battle, the sword would be able to withstand all the attacks of their adversary by absorbing the shock of their weapons without shattering. Even so when we’re engaged in spiritual warfare, we cannot afford to have our emotions interfere with the operation of the spiritual weaponry. It is not the Word of God that ever falters, but when one deals in unrighteousness, such as forgiveness and bitterness, these character flaws causes the word to become ineffective in our hands. Just as the natural sword has to be tempered for effectiveness in battle, in like manner, we too must be tempered by bringing our bodies into subjection to the will of God. Not being tempered enough in our selves, gives the allusion that the sword is not pliable; however it is we that are unstable and when the word is not activated in our lives this causes us to break as well. Often times when dealing with conflict it may be difficult to discern who is telling the truth because the parties having the conflict are both liked in their circle of associates. Before there were lie detectors, there was God, giving the discerning of spirits and the word of knowledge to help bring about truth. The sword is also a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Let me share a story with you about a boy who said to a girl friend of his, “I will give you all of my marbles, if you give me all of your candy.” So the night before the exchange, the boy took out some of his favorite marbles. The next morning the exchange was made, but the young man was unsettled all day. The question is why was he unsettled? The reason was, the boy had taken out some of his favorite marbles, and was wondering, if the girl had taken out some of her favorite candy. The truth is, if the girl had asked the boy if he had given her all the marbles and he said yes, he would have lied. The Sword of Solomon will teach you how the Word enables you to become more sensitive in the Spirit to rightly divide who is dealing with truth and who is dealing in deceit. The sword as a discerner of truth, is able to pinpoint whether something is proceeding out