Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Lesson 1: Acts Community Bible Study..."Patience"
Well, here it is....entry number one of my 7 month and two week study on the Book of Acts! I am going to attempt to journal what I have learned in each of my bloggings...follow along if you like...by now reading Chapter 1 of "Acts"(Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and then Acts)
One interesting thing I didn't know is that the book of Acts contains the final mention in the bible of Mary, mother of Jesus.(Acts 1:14)
But mostly...the lesson of "waiting"...pointed out that as the people gathered in that upstairs room...still waiting for the holy spirit to come at this point....showed FIRST their prayers before Jesus would come along in the story to walk amongst his people again before ascending into heaven. So many times we ask the lord for things...but so many times, when we push ourselves to the point of desperation while waiting and THEN praying...well...as the lecturer put it tonight...don't we usually say.."well, I've done all I can do...now all I can do is pray." ??!! INSTEAD...PRAY FIRST!
I admit it....I waste so much time getting mad because something happened, and then thinking "god wasn't listening"....well...was I PRAYING FIRST?!! Most likely...I did have the patience to wait...as it says in Hebrews 11:1-"now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see."....and I'm real good at that...but what I'm not good at, admittedly...is praying about it FIRST...before I hope and before being sure...
With Patience, Humility and TOTAL DEPENDENCE(praying, then faith it will happen and staying certain it has happened in HIS TIME.)...I will grow better in christ!
One final point...If an Army is waiting for battle...and is waiting...don't they need to receive supplies and instructions FIRST?! If they went into battle with no "ammunition" in reserve, or backup forces to reinforce...or what areas to attack, or how to attack them....very likely there will not be victory....
Looking forward to sharing next week on CHAPTER 2!
One interesting thing I didn't know is that the book of Acts contains the final mention in the bible of Mary, mother of Jesus.(Acts 1:14)
But mostly...the lesson of "waiting"...pointed out that as the people gathered in that upstairs room...still waiting for the holy spirit to come at this point....showed FIRST their prayers before Jesus would come along in the story to walk amongst his people again before ascending into heaven. So many times we ask the lord for things...but so many times, when we push ourselves to the point of desperation while waiting and THEN praying...well...as the lecturer put it tonight...don't we usually say.."well, I've done all I can do...now all I can do is pray." ??!! INSTEAD...PRAY FIRST!
I admit it....I waste so much time getting mad because something happened, and then thinking "god wasn't listening"....well...was I PRAYING FIRST?!! Most likely...I did have the patience to wait...as it says in Hebrews 11:1-"now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see."....and I'm real good at that...but what I'm not good at, admittedly...is praying about it FIRST...before I hope and before being sure...
With Patience, Humility and TOTAL DEPENDENCE(praying, then faith it will happen and staying certain it has happened in HIS TIME.)...I will grow better in christ!
One final point...If an Army is waiting for battle...and is waiting...don't they need to receive supplies and instructions FIRST?! If they went into battle with no "ammunition" in reserve, or backup forces to reinforce...or what areas to attack, or how to attack them....very likely there will not be victory....
Looking forward to sharing next week on CHAPTER 2!
