FIRST CENTURY CHURCH AND PRAYER

Blog Viewers,

Our study of "The Christian and Prayer" includes scriptures from Acts as well as other scripture under each of the sections in your resource book.

The picture below is the Prayer Garden at Mt. Charleston Baptist Church in Las Vegas. I am standing in the center with two friends Dode and Alice. Dode's husband Hap was the Minister of Music/Education at the church.  Dode played the piano. Alice sang at special events. I was on the Mission Committee. Dode and Alice were my missionary partners in the Bahamas and Las Vegas.

Prayer Garden at Mt. Charleston Baptist Church in Las Vegas

 

Scripture to Read From Acts
At the beginning of each lesson listed below the objective you will see specific chapters from the book of Acts that you are instructed to read as part of your study. These scriptures are listed in the following order:
Lesson 1: Acts 3-4             
Lesson 2: Acts 5-6
Lesson 3: Acts 7-8
Lesson 4: Acts 9-10
Lesson 5: Acts 11-12
Lesson 6: Acts 1-2
Lesson 7: Acts 13-14

The reason that Dr. Bill Bright instructs us to read these chapters in the book of Acts is because the first century disciples put into practice successful prayer lives. These early believers who made up the first century church faced persecutions both from the Jewish Religious Leaders and the Pagan Roman Political Rulers.  It was necessary that they banded together for encouragement, fellowship and prayer sessions. In chapters 1-14 of Acts, we read mainly of Jewish believers, who accepted Jesus as the son of God.  The Apostles, Peter and John, were leaders of these Jewish believers.

Acts 2:42 "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."

As you read these chapters in the book of Acts, note the number of times the phrase "filled with the Holy Spirit" is recorded.  For example, Acts 4:8, "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit.....", Acts 4:31, "they (believers) were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."

The Believers Pray for Boldness
  Read carefully Acts 4:23-31, the recorded prayer of the believers. This prayer correlates with the material in Lesson 2.

The analysis of this prayer is:
They addressed their prayer to God, Sovereign Lord
They acknowledged old testament Prophecy from Psalm 2; Jesus' death - God's foreordained Plan
They made requests: give boldness to your servants, bring healing and perform signs and wonders
      all to be done through the name of Jesus
Results of their prayer: Sign given: place where they were meeting was shaken, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God boldly.

All three persons of the trinity, God the Father, Son , and Holy Spirit had a role in these believers' prayer. Our objective for Lesson 2 is: to understand the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in  our prayers.

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT
Please complete the following assignment. Write the following four names at the top of a sheet of paper: God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and your name. Read the following scripture passages and relate the scripture verse(s) to one of the proper names.
Hebrews 4:14-16; I Timothy 2:5; Isaiah 59:2; Ephesians 6:18; Matthew 6:9; Romans 8:26; John 14:6; I John 3:21, 22; Jude 20.

Our memory verse for this week is: Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." ESV

EFFECTIVE DAILY PRAYER

Blog Viewers,

Our next study topic for our Sunday morning Bible study is, "The Christian and Prayer".
Every Christian needs to understand the basic truths about prayer. During our study for the next seven weeks we will examine these truths. I hope that you will take the time to examine your prayer life and see the weaknesses and the strengths. When Jesus walked this earth and had fellowship with his disciples, he wanted them and future disciples to know the power of prayer.  The early disciples had opportunities to experience close encounters with Jesus' example of daily personal prayer with His Father God. Today we have the living, inspired word of God to read about these experiences. Therefore in the next seven weeks we will search the scriptures about the topic, The Christian and Prayer.

The titles of our sessions are:
1. "The Purpose of Prayer"                               
2. "To Whom Should We Prayer"

3. "A Guide to Effective Daily Prayer"
4. "How to Pray With Power"
5. "God's Promises About Prayer"
6. "Planning Your Daily Devotional Time"
7. "Recap"

In our first week of study, we will look at the following topics: Why Prayer is Important, Motives for praying, God's motive for teaching us to pray, and prayer meets the heart's needs.

Dr. Bill Bright defines prayer as: "simply communicating with God, inviting Him to talk to you as you talk to Him".  He lists the following points to answer the question,

 "Who Can Pray?'

1, Anyone can pray (the unbeliever has only one prayer and the believer has many prayers)
2. Those who have clean hearts can pray- Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear"
3. Those who have a forgiving spirit can pray - Mark 11:25 "When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins".
4. Those who pray in faith can pray- Matthew 28:18, 20 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me...Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" ; Matthew 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever, you ask for in prayer" ; John 14:14 "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."; Matthew 9:29 " According to your faith will it be done to you."

Our lesson for the first session concludes with the study of Psalm 63. The early church recited Psalm 63 in their morning prayers. Please read this Psalm carefully. You have a chart on page 157 to fill in some main ideas about the elements of worship during prayer time.  Notice in this psalm the word "soul" is used three times., which divides the psalm into three divisions. The main heading are:
Soul Thirst (1-4); Soul Satisfaction (5-7); and Soul Trust (8-11). Think about these headings and how these relate to you in your prayer sessions.

This is an exciting study so get on board for a awesome ride to a more effective daily prayer life!!!

Blessing from the Holy Spirit to the Christian

Blog Viewers,  

COMING  SOON

Spring is Coming!!!
I believe that we are coming to the end of our cold and inclement weather and spring is on the horizon.
At least this is what is being predicted by the weather reports. So we hope that these predictions will be accurate for the warmer temperatures on Sunday, February 16, 2014.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Since we did not meet for our class, on February 9, we will discuss the final lesson on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit on February 16. Please take the time to review the seven lessons in your resource book. A good way to review this material is to:
1. Read the objective for each lesson: this will help you focus on the main points
2. Read the memory verses for each lesson
3. Read the main headings of each chapter
4. Read through the main points of your notes

Blessing from the Holy Spirit!!!!!

In our study, we learned that the Holy Spirit performs a five-fold work in a believer at the time of his/her conversion. These ministries are: regeneration, baptism, indwells, seals, and fills. The Holy Spirit also gives assurance to a Christian of  His blessings.

A Christian, a true believer, has the assurance of the following blessings from the Holy Spirit:

1. The Holy Spirit will pray for him. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26 NIV

2.The Holy Spirit will guide him:"As many as are led by the Spirit, they are sons of God" Romans 8:14

3. The Holy Spirit will teach him: Read I John 2:27

4. The Holy Spirit will empower him for witnessing: Read Acts 1:8

5. The Holy Spirit will conform him to the image of Christ: Read 2 Corinthians 3:18

6. The Holy Spirit will strengthen his new nature: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." Ephesians 3:16 NIV

7. The Holy Spirit will reveal biblical truth to him: "But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."1 Corinthians 2:10 NIV

8. The Holy Spirit will assure him concerning salvation and service. "The Spirit, himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. " Romans 8:16 NIV

9. The Holy Spirit will give him liberty:"Because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 NIV and "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom". 2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

10. The Holy Spirit will fill his mouth with appropriate things. Read Mark 13:11

11. The Holy Spirit will impart the love of Christ to him and through him: "But God demonstrated his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:5 NIV

My friends, our Lord and Savior Jesus, assured his first disciples and all future disciples that he would send them a comforter and he did. Read this promise he gave in John 14:19-21. 

Sunday, February 9, 2014 Lesson Information

Blog Viewers,

On Sunday, February 9, 2014, we will "Recap" the principles that we have been studying for the past six week on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Before beginning our next topic, we will take the time to review the information from our resource book and scripture passages that have given us so much insight into the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit. Please look at the questions in Lesson 7 on pages 150-151. We will focus on the Life Application questions on page 151 which are:

1. What should be your motives for being filled with the Spirit?

2. How can you be filled with the Spirit?

3. How do you know you are filled with the Holy Spirit?(Hint: Fruit of the Spirit)

4. How can you continue to be filled with and walk in the Spirit? (Hint: Spiritual Breathing and abiding in Jesus)

Please consider the points from James McConkey's book "Three-fold Secret of the Holy Spirit" page 56.

That child of God will have the fullest manifestation of the Spirit who adopts as the deliberate purpose and principle of his life:
THE LOVE OF CHRIST INSTEAD OF THE LOVE OF SELF
1. He ceases to grasp all, and begins to give all.
2. He ceases to seek all, and begins to surrender all.
3. He ceases accenting "take care of number one" and begins to accent "let every man take care of  the things of others"
4. He no longer seeks the high place, but the lowly one.
5. He no longer seeks, but shuns the praises of men.
6. He seeks to minister, instead of being ministered to.
7. He no longer seeks to save his life, but to lose it for others.
8. He no longer seeks to lay up, enjoy and be at ease, but suffer, and spend and be spent for Christ Himself.
9. He seeks to love as God loves, regardless of his treatment by others. "He is kind to the unthankful and the evil." If some grievous wrong, insult or unkindness goads you from your attitude of love, justify it not, but hasten to confess, and find forgiveness from Him who prayed for those who murdered Him, as well as for those who loved Him.

NOTE: Some of you had planned to go to the video showing of the debate: creation vs. evolution with Bill Nye and Ken Ham. Because of the inclement weather the showing was cancelled. They did the live taping at the Creation Museum last night, February 4, 2014. I watched the live streaming on my computer. The program lasted about three hours. For the next few days, this program will be available  to view on your computer. I thought the question and answer session was excellent. I hope that you will take time to view this debate.  The sight to see the debate is: www.debatelive.org