Monday Bible Study Life in Christ Bible Church LICBC Headquarters, 154 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024, USA http://www.licbc.org ********************************************************************************************** Systematic expository study of God’s word. Study 1: Preparation for a new beginning. Welcome to the first study in 2009. We praise God for strengthening us as a Christian body through the bible. God who has done so much in the past can do much more in the future if we continue to follow Him and His revealed truth humbly and wholeheartedly. Our future is bright as we allow God to touch our lives with truth and power, vision and commission, faith and new anointing. 1. PREPARING THE HEART FOR GOD’S VISITATION Jeremiah 29:11-13, psalm 63:1-3, proverbs8:17, Joshua 3:5, 1 chronicles 28:9, Hebrews 11:6, psalm 27:8. Jerusalem was not prepared when Christ came and Herod was not ready for the new king. The religious leaders were not prepared when Jesus appeared in the temple at 12. Israel was not prepared when Christ was made manifest at River Jordan! We can miss God’s mighty visitation if we are not prepared for it. This New Year should be the beginning of new and great things in our spiritual lives but we must be fully prepared. God has always demanded that His people make some preparations to welcome His presence in order to see the manifestations of his power. Our preparation may include repentance, cleansing, forsaking bad habits of procrastination, determining to keep our appointments with God, and promising to keep our conversation right, maintaining regular times of prayer and study. Seeking God earnestly and diligently should characterise every one of us each day of this New Year. Early in the morning of each day, Davis, Ezras Daniels Peters, Pauls, Hannahs, Deborahs- Christian men and women must seek God through prayer and study of God’s word. 2. PRAYER AND STUDY IN CHRIST PRESENCE. Daniel 9:3; I Thessalonians 5:17; I peter 5:7; mark 1:35; acts; Luke 10:38-42. Two major important channels through which God communicates His will, revelation, grace, power and vision to us are hearing the word and praying. Through the word we discover our faults and through praying we correct them. Through study we evaluate the limits of our spiritual growth. Through praying we are helped to grow in grace. Through God’s word we are instructed on our duty of fulfilling the great commission, through praying we receive wisdom, zeal and power to witness and win the lost. The study of the word reveals that the labourers are few; prayer moves the lord of the harvest to send more labourers to help in the reaping. Studying the word reveals our failure, praying gives the courage, vision, wisdom and ability to live for the glory of God. To receive god’s best and be our best for god this year, regular study at the Monday bible study, consecrated worship each Sunday with god’s people and fellowship of faith on Thursdays are essential for you. None of us can afford to miss study, fellowship and prayer any day of this year. Poverty, sickness and physical hindrances must not be allowed to lessen our faithfulness and preparedness for god’s best. 3. SEEKING GOD FOR THINGS ABOVE. Colossians 3:1-2; Mathew 6:33; lamentations 3:25; Isaiah 40: 28-31; Hosea 10:12; exodus33:13,18; Philippians 3:7-10. Solomon in his days of humility and godliness has left the kind of seeking and praying that pleases God (1 Kings 3:5-15). He left his temporal and physical needs and asked God for spiritual things- things of spiritual importance in God’s sight. Moses cries out to God “if I have found grace in thy sight shew me now thy way that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight… I beseech thee, shew me thy glory”. Paul’s desire after years of exemplary obedience and challenging Christian life was “ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection» this year, may our lives be marked by a growing hunger and desire to know and follow God more. Let us fully prepare and keep on preparing ourselves before God so that He will continually pour His blessings upon our lives. Please don’t let this message die, share it with others.
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