“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. Raised in a Christian home, I was saved at the age of 7 at a Billy Graham crusade. I thought I was a good Christian and knew the Bible till I started attending a Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class at the age of 26. God opened my mind and heart to truly understand that He gave us His Word so we might know Him and our desperate need for Him.
Through the study of His Word I soon realized how truly sinful my heart was and is. I began to see that God wanted all of me, not just my Sunday mornings. God showed me my need to learn to control my tongue. To be quick to listen and slow to speak. (We are still working on that, but I have come a long way).
God has opened the doors so I could serve Him as a Girl Scout leader, Awana leader, Sunday School teacher and Teaching Leader (TL) for BSF. I was willing to take on those tasks because His Word promises to help us by the power of His indwelling Spirit. He did!
I am grateful to have been in BSF for many years. I even had the privilege to meet Mrs. Jensen when I applied for the position as a TL.
When the Lord closed the class I was leading, I knew I needed a disciplined study to keep me close to Him. I have learned that I need to be involved in an in-depth Bible study to keep me on the right path. That’s when I learned about the Rafiki Bible Study (RBS). I have led a Rafiki Study in my home for 3 years and it has kept me close to Jesus. The questions cause us to think deeply about what our purpose in life is. How am I using the assets God has given me for His Kingdom?
Last year our group wanted to study Revelation. Many people think this book is too divisive or hard to understand, but we took the challenge. It was wonderful! I came to understand that God gave us the Revelation of Jesus Christ in all His glory, and a glimpse into future events so we would not be afraid. We did the study a little different than usual. It took us 3 weeks to cover 2 lessons. The study of Revelation has removed my anxiety about what is going on in the world, because I know God is Sovereign and He is working out His plan. I still pray much for lost loved ones and the leaders of our nation, but fear has been replaced with faith in our Glorified Risen Savior Jesus. The Book of Revelation begins with a vision of Jesus in all His resurrection glory and that is where I try to keep my focus when I begin to worry. I encourage anyone who wants to know God and His word more deeply to start up a Rafiki Bible Study in your home, you will be blessed.—Carrie age 66
P.S. from Rosemary: To help RBS Groups with study of especially hard books like Revelation, I suggest that group members purchase the commentary that is recommended by Rafiki and is written by a theologian different from the one who wrote the RBS lesson notes. Reading a commentary along with studying the lesson will enrich your understanding of the passage tremendously. These commentaries can be purchased from Amazon or from Rafiki at a considerable discount.
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