CHRISTMAS & the miracle of prophecy

I love Christmas. It brings so much joy to be around those you love, celebrating the miracle of Jesus’s birth. It always is a wonderful time of reflection for me. One of the things I find myself thinking about a lot during this season is the miracle of prophecy. It truly leaves me in awe at times as I remember the miraculous ways that God prepared His people for the arrival of His Son, using prophecy as a wonderful and remarkable sign of His coming.

So, what exactly is PROPHECY?

In the Bible, we see that prophecy is the prediction of something to take place in the future. It affirms the truth and trustworthiness of God’s Word to us when we see His words come true as they were predicted many years before, and the Bible is full of prophecy! The Bible contains approximately 1,000 prophecies of which approximately     two thirds have already been fulfilled. The remaining prophecies will be fulfilled during the end times, the days when Jesus returns for the second time!

Why is PROPHECY important?

It is exciting that God chose to use prophecy to show us that He is God. He tells us in the book of Isaiah that He proves Himself to us in this unique way. It is an amazing evidence to us that God is who He says He is, and it is a foundation for our trust in Jesus and the Bible! 

Isa 46:9-11 says, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’…I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”

So, as we examine a few of the prophecies fulfilled by the birth of Jesus, I pray that this will give you a greater view of the magnificence of our God and the gift of His Son!

Here are 8 prophecies fulfilled in the birth of Jesus: 

 1.  That the Messiah the son of God would be born of a woman (Gen 3:15, Gal 4:4-5)

 2. That the Messiah would be from the line of Abraham (Gen 12:1-3, Gal 3:16, Matt1:1-17)

 3. That the Messiah would be from the house of David (2 Sam 7:12-13, Rom 1:1-6, Matt 1:1-17)

4. That the Messiah would be born of a virgin and be called Emmanuel (Isa 7:14, Matt 1:22-23)

5. That the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matt 2:3-6)

6. That the Messiah would be worshipped by wise men and presented gifts (Ps 72:10, Isa 60:6, Matt 2:1;11)

7. That the Messiah birthplace would suffer a massacre of infants (Jer 31:15, Matt 2:16-18)  

8. That the Messiah would be in Egypt for a season (Num 24:8, Hosea 11:1, Matt 2:13-15)

Why did God give PROPHECY about JESUS?

God wanted us to know that Jesus was the Messiah! He demonstrated this by giving us so many unmistakable prophecies about the coming of His Son. The undeniable odds of all of these prophecies being fulfilled in the life of one man, Jesus, are almost incomprehensible. It is truly amazing that God did give such specific details about the nature of Jesus’s birth so that we could recognize Him upon His coming.

In the article, “Jesus is the Greatest Gift ever Foretold,” Jim Muelhausen puts this miracle in perspective in a tangible analogy: 

“There are so many prophecies which are fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ that it is difficult to fathom how extraordinary their fulfillment is. To help conceptualize the remoteness of the probability that one man could fulfill the prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Dr. Peter Stoner, a renowned professor of mathematics, calculated the probability to be 1 in 10 to the 17th power that a person would fulfill 8 of the prophecies which were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ.

To better understand 1 in 10 to the 17th power, imagine that the state of Texas was covered with 1,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars — this would bury the entire state of Texas 2 feet deep in silver dollars. Now assume that an “x” is placed upon one silver dollar and that it is mixed together with all the other silver dollars covering the state of Texas. The probability that one man would fulfill just eight of the prophecies which were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ is equal to the probability that a blindfolded man would randomly select the silver dollar marked with the “x” from the two foot thick mass of silver dollars covering the state of Texas. As if that isn’t impossible enough, Jesus fulfilled more than 300 Old Testament prophecies, not just 8.”

Isn’t that incredible? God wants you to know and worship Jesus as the Messiah, and that is why He gave us such an amazing gift to let us know that He is God! Our God is gracious and the giver of all good gifts. Let this gift of prophecy cause you to be grateful and have an attitude of thankfulness. God want us to know His power and grace this Christmas season. 

May we enjoy His grace this season by worshipping His Son.

-Pastor Daniel 

Leadership Nugget: A Leader Passionately Prayers

A LEADER PASSIONATELY PRAYS

Nehemiah 1:11c For I was the king’s cupbearer.

Every great story has a beginning. The book of Nehemiah is a great story full of amazing leadership principles and great accomplishments….but it all started with Nehemiah praying. Don’t overlook this. Nehemiah passionately prayed. Before the great accomplishment of a wall being built, the restoration of a ancient city, families being restored to their homeland and the rise of a great leader, it started with prayer. It started with God. 

Prayer is simply talking and listening to God. As we pray to God, we are aligning our hearts to His will, and we get to know Him in a closer way. This is why Jesus prayed, “not my will, but your will be done,” before he endured the cross. So we also pray according to God’s will. Many even say the words “in Jesus name,” which is another way of saying “according to your nature and will.” We take all sort of circumstances, situations, and emotions to God through prayer and allow His will to be done and pray for His plan to succeed. 

Often, when we hear successful stories of leaders, we want to learn from them so we can succeed as well. We learn that Nehemiah wasn’t a great commander or leader in the nation of Israel, he wasn’t even living in the Jewish nation at the time. He was simply working as the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes in a foreign land. Although he didn’t seem like the greatest candidate to lead the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, God had great plans for Him to accomplish this great task. We see His journey start with him praying passionately to God for the nation of Israel, and as he prays, God starts to align his heart to His plan to restore His people, the city and rebuild the wall through Nehemiah. I believe Nehemiah’s success started with the secret Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” 

Don’t miss how this book starts off. In Nehemiah chapter 1 we see Nehemiah passionately praying. If you want to lead well, it will be good for you to pray to God as well. 

Luke 14:11 ”For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Be blessed,

Pastor Daniel 

Christmas Tree Lighting: A Photo Essay

Every year, in early December, downtown Delray Beach fills up with over 100,000 people, sponsor booths, food trucks, and live music for the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting. You can feel the festivity in the air. For the 3rd year, Redemption Church has hosted a booth during this event. It is a wonderful way to support our city, meet new people, and serve together as a church. This year we handed out over 1,000 church service invitations and dozens of candy canes. Also, as has become tradition, we showed the Charlie Brown Christmas movie, which consistently attracted several watchers. This booth was about so much more than candy canes or kids games or lighting a 100 foot Christmas Tree or even serving together...it was about Pursuing and Proclaiming Jesus in our city.

Seven works that testify to the Deity of Jesus

1. Jesus claims to be the Messiah & proves it through prophecy

Isa 9:6 tells us that the messiah would be God in flesh and would be known as the Son of God

One example of Biblical prophecy concerning the messiah that Jesus fulfilled:

The messiah would also be born of a virgin—-Isa 7:14 and fulfilled in Matt 1:21-23

Jesus claimed to be the Messiah & proved it through prophecy (Luke 4:17-20 & Matt 11:2-6)

Jesus’s Disciples teach us that Jesus was the messiah (Acts 2:22-41, Matt 1:1, John 20:30-31)

2. Jesus claimed to be God

John 8:57-59 —- YHWH-The LORD

John 10:30-33 —- Son of God (same nature)

John 5:18 —- Calling God: Father (same nature…equality with God)

3. Jesus spoke as God and not a prophet

Example: The Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7) & Matt 7:28-29

4. Jesus accepted worship as only God stated He should receive

Ex 20:3  --- “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Jesus accepted & approved the worship of people (Matt 14:33, John 20:28, & Matt 16:16-17)

5. Jesus forgives sin and heals a man to prove He is God —- Mark 2:1-10 

Other examples when He forgave sin: The adulterous woman, woman anointing His feet, man on the cross ,etc

1 Tim 1:15 --- The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

6. Jesus conquered sin and death and proved it in the resurrection (1 Cor 15)

7. Jesus’ disciples accepted His claim to be God

Example:Most of Jesus’ disciples got martyred because they wouldn’t recant this truth.

They also preached that Jesus was God and could only do things that God can do.

Examples: Col 1:16, 2 Pet 3:18, 1 Cor 4:5, 2 Cor 5:10, Acts 10:36

Twenty Reasons Christians Believe Jesus is God

As a resource to you all, we wanted to share this article by Charlie Campbell. We hope it’s helpful and encourages your faith. This article is taken from Charlie Campbell’s website which you can find at: www.alwaysbeready.com

The Bible teaches that there is one God who eternally exists in three coequal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It teaches that Jesus, God the Son, came down to the earth 2,000 years ago to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin. The Watchtower Society (also known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known as Mormons) and other groups deny this. Twisting Scripture, or inventing their own scriptures, these groups teach that Jesus was/is merely a man, an angel, or one of many gods that exist. Below are twenty reasons why Christians believe Jesus was and is almighty God. Notice that each reason is taken directly from the inspired, infallible Word of God.

1. The Apostle Thomas called Jesus God.

John 20:27-29 “Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

2. The Apostle Peter called Jesus God.

2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”

3. The Apostle Paul called Jesus God.

Titus 2:12b-14 “…we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

4. The Apostle John called Jesus God.

John 1:1-3, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” See verse 14 for confirmation that this reference to the “Word” is a reference to Jesus.

5. God the Father called Jesus God.

Hebrews 1:8 “But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. ’”

6. Isaiah the Prophet said the Messiah would be God.

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

God the Father, in the Old Testament, is also called “Mighty God” in Isaiah 10:21, the same title that can be ascribed to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

7. The Jews who crucified Jesus understood Him to be saying that He was equal with God.

John 5:18 “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”

John 10:33 “The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

8. Jesus called Himself “I AM”, the Old Testament name for God (Exodus 3:14).

John 8:58-59 “Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

9. Jesus calls Himself “the Alpha and Omega,” the title of Almighty God.

Revelation 22:12-13 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

10. Like God (Gen. 1:1) Jesus created.

Colossians 1:16-17 “For by Him [See context. This is speaking of Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

John 1:3 “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Yet God says in Isaiah 44:24, “I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself”

11. Like God, Jesus forgives sin.

Mark 2:5-7, 10-11 says, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” “…But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house.”

12. Like God, Jesus gives eternal life.

John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

13. Like God, Jesus received, receives and will receive worship.

Matthew 14:32-33 “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (also see Matthew 28:9, 17, John 9:37-38)

Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Hebrews 1:6 “But when He again brings the firstborn [JESUS] into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

Jesus never rebuked any of His followers for worshiping Him and yet worship of anything or anyone other than God is absolutely forbidden in the Bible …

Luke 4:8 “And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

14. Jesus said that only God was good; and Jesus was good.

Mark 10:17-18 “And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

Jesus was as good as they come. He was “sinless,” “holy,” “righteous,” “innocent,” “undefiled,” and “separate from sinners.” (Hebrews 7:26) That’s pretty good!

15. Like God, Jesus can be present in more than one place at the same time.

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (See also Matthew 28:20)

16. One of Jesus’ titles is “God with us.”

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

17. Jesus’ blood is called God’s blood.

Acts 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

18. Jesus has the same nature as God.

Hebrews 1:3a “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”

19. Jesus spoke as God.

Jesus did not speak as one of God’s prophets: “thus says the Lord,” but as God: “I say to you.”

Matthew 5:27-29 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Matthew 7:28-29 “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

20. Like God (Psalm 136:3), Jesus is called the Lord of Lords and King of kings.

Revelation 17:14 “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (See also 1 Timothy 6:15).

It is clear from these passages and dozens of others that Jesus was and is God almighty. Don’t let a Jehovah’s Witness or any other person lead you astray. Be a noble minded Berean (Acts 17:11) and search the Scriptures to see for yourself that this is indeed the case.

The Holy Spirit is God and we shouldn’t neglect Him

As we are studying this week, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send His Spirit to give them power and comfort. Jesus said in John 16:7, “it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” It’s amazing that He would say that it was to their (and our) advantage that He was leaving so that the Holy Spirit could come into our lives! He is a person sent to us with numerous promises about all that He is able to do in and through us. It is so vital that we embrace the Spirit of God as the person He is and do not simply ignore His presence in our lives. When we do allow ourselves to forget Him, we can also forget the role He plays in our lives every single day. I’m including a non-exhaustive list of what the Bible says is the role of the Holy Spirit—read these verses and pray through them! Ask the Holy Spirit to do these things in your own life.

He creates and gives life (Job 33:4; Gen 1:26)

He appoints and commissions ministers (Isaiah 48:16; Acts 13:2;20:28)

He directs people where to preach (Acts 8:29;10:19-20)

He directs people where not to preach (Acts 16:6-7)

He instructs people what to preach (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16)

He spoke in, and by, the prophets (Acts 1:16; 1 Peter 1:11,12; 2 Peter 1:21)

He convicts people of sin (John 16:8)

He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30; Isaiah 63:10)

He comforts (Acts 9:31)

He helps our infirmities and helps us pray (Romans 8:26, Eph 6:18)

He teaches ( John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10)

He guides ( John 16:13)

He gives gifts to believers (1 Cor 12:4-11)

He sanctifies (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11)

He testifies of Christ ( John 15:26, 1 Cor 12:3)

He glorifies Christ ( John 16:14)

He has a power of his own (Romans 15:13; 2 Tim 1:7)

He empowers believers to do His work (Zechariah 4:7; Acts 1:8; 1 Tim 1:12)

He searches all things (Romans 11:33-34; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

He works according to his own will (1 Corinthians 12:11)

He dwells with saints ( John 14:17; Rom 8:9; 2 Tim 1:14)

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May you be filled and empowered with God’s Spirit!

Pastor Daniel

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

The Gospel is amazing! God loves us, He forgives us of our sin and shame, He gives us His righteousness by His grace, we now have a new purpose in life and can now have a relationship with our Creator God. As we start to be transformed by God, we start to realize ALL the amazing implications that The Gospel brings into our personal lives. One of the ways the Gospel impacts our lives is that we receive God’s Spirit to transform us, point us to Jesus and empower us to follow Him. We believe that The HoIy Spirit is God, and it is vital that we embrace God in our lives daily. I want to give you some verses for you to study this week on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. Enjoy His presence this week as He helps you learn more about Him. 

• Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to us (John 16:1-15; Acts 1:8)
• Jesus’s promise of giving the Holy Spirit is fulfilled (Acts 2)
• We receive God’s Spirit when put our trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord (2 Tim 1:17; Col 1:27; 1 Cor 6:19-20)
• The Holy Spirit empowers us to do His will and glorify Jesus (Acts 1:8; 1 Tim 1:12; John 16:14)
• The Holy Spirit gave us the Bible ( 2 Tim 3:15-16; 2 Pet 1:20-21)
• The Holy Spirit helps us understand the Bible (John 16:12-13; John 14:26)
• The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts (Romans 12; Eph 4; 1 Peter 4; 1 Cor 12-14)
• The Holy Spirit helps us pray (Romans 8:26-27; Hebrews 4:16)
• Jesus was filled with The Holy Spirit and embraced Him in His life (Acts 10:38)
• When we embrace the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will bear fruit (Gal 5:16-26; Gal 6:8; John 15:4; John 7:37-39)
• We can ask for God’s Spirit today! (Luke 11:9-13)

Be Blessed,

Pastor Daniel

Recommended Bible Helps by Pastor Daniel

We have been studying the first chapter of Matthew at our Thursday night Bible Study. As I was studying this passage, I was amazed to read again the geneology accounts as Matthew wrote them—such an amazing testament to the nature of our God to keep His promises to us—even to sending our Savior, Jesus in the exact bloodline that He had promised. To most of us, finding some sort of relevance, application, or even understanding of a passage like this can be extremely difficult and discouraging. This is why I wanted to pass on a few study helps that can be helpful when studying through the Bible. Several of these, I use on a regular basis and have found to be very accurate and useful in understanding the Scriptures. Hopefully they will be a help to you as you read God’s Word—not just to read it, but to apply your whole self—heart, MIND, and strength.

Bible websites:

www.biblegateway.com

www.blueletterbible.com

www.youversion.com

Commentaries:

Warren Wiersbe Be Series: http://www.christianbook.com/the-bible-exposition-commentary-6-volumes/warren-wiersbe/9786125030474/pd/030474

Bible Knowledge Commentary: http://www.christianbook.com/bible-knowledge-commentary-new-testament-volumes/9780896938007/pd/693800X

Chuck Smith’s commentary: http://www.twft.com/

ESV Study Bible: http://esvstudybible.org/

Logo’s software: http://www.logos.com/

Podcasts:

Calvary Chapel Pastors: http://www.calvarychapelpodcasting.com

Mark Discroll at Mars Hill: http://marshill.com/media/sermons

Judah Smith at The City Church: http://thecity.org/media/

Steven Furtick at Elevation Church: http://www.elevationchurch.org/archive

James Mcdonald at Harvest Bible Chapel: http://www.jamesmacdonald.com/teaching/podcast/

2 Tim 2:15

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

May you study well,

Pastor Daniel

Amazing Evidence For The Trustworthiness Of The Bible

This article is taken from Charlie Campbell’s website which you can find at: www.alwaysbeready.com

DOWNLOAD this article as a PDF

The word Bible comes from the Greek word “biblos,” which means “book.” The Bible is unarguably an incredible book! The Bible is the best selling, most quoted, most published, most circulated, most translated, most influential book in the history of mankind. Now these are interesting facts, but do they prove that the Bible is actually true? No. Why should anybody believe that the Bible is actually true? Might not the Bible be a fraud? Might not it be an ancient book of mythology, filled with the fanciful, yet deceitful writings of men? Why should I trust the Bible? Those are questions that intelligent, critical thinking people are asking today. Those are the questions I used to ask about the Bible. We need to, as Christians, be able to answer these questions (1 Peter 3:15). So, I’d like to share with you some of the evidence that I think demonstrates that the Bible is indeed what it claims to be, the inspired, trustworthy Word of God. 

1. Fulfilled Prophecy   

Fulfilled prophecy is something that sets the Bible apart from every other religious book. The Bible is filled with hundreds of specific, detailed prophecies that were written hundreds of years before their fulfillment! In fact, an amazing 27% of the Bible (more than 1 out of every 4 verses) contains what was predictive prophecy at the time that it was written. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

Peter Stoner, a mathematician, and Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, in his book Science Speaks (Moody 1963) calculated the odds of a single man fulfilling just eight of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled as the mathematical improbability of 1 in 10 to the 17th. That is a HUGE number. One in ten to the seventeenth power. That’s a one with seventeen zeros after it (100,000,000,000,000,000). If we had 100 quadrillion 1” x 1.5” tiles we could cover every square inch of dry land on planet Earth. The fact that these prophecies and hundreds of others have been fulfilled, even though they were spoken hundreds and even thousands of years before their fulfillment, is strong evidence that a God, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, orchestrated the Bible’s completion (Isaiah 46:9-10). 

2. Archaeological Discovers 

“Archaeology can never prove divine inspiration, and we are not claiming that it can, but archaeology can help establish the fact that the Bible is a historical document” Quote by Charlie Campbell

For the past 150 years archaeologists have been verifying the exact truthfulness of the Bible’s detailed records of various events, customs, persons, cities, nations, and geographical locations. In every instance where the Bible can be, or has been checked out archaeologically, it has been found to be 100% accurate. The Bible has proven so accurate that archaeologists often refer to it as a reliable guide when they go to dig in new areas.

3. The Bible’s Internal Consistency  

The Bible addresses life’s most controversial questions. The Bible is a collection of 66 different documents. It a compilation of books: 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The Bible was written by approximately 40 different authors. Many of the Bible’s authors came from different educational and cultural backgrounds. The Bible was written over a period of approximately 1500+ years. Many of the authors were separated by hundreds of miles geographically. The Bible was written in three different languages, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. In spite of these seven different factors, when we look at the Bible as a whole, we find it to be a consistent, harmonious, perfectly unified account of how God is seeking to reconcile sinful mankind back to Himself through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ! 

4. External Verification 

Many people don’t know this but there are dozens of writings outside of the Bible that verify the historical accuracy of many of the names of people, places, and events mentioned in the Bible. In fact, external sources verify that at least 80 persons were actual historical figures, 50 people from the Old Testament and 30 people from the New Testament. 

A great book for those of interested on reading more about external verification of the life of Jesus, is The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ by Gary R. Habermas.

5. The Bible’s Amazing Scientific Accuracy and Foresight 

Even though the Bible was completed 2,000 years ago, long before the invention of the microscope, the telescope, satellites, etc. it does not contain any scientific errors. Not only is the Bible free from scientific errors, it miraculously makes known numerous, accurate scientific facts about the universe thousands of years before modern scientists caught up.  For 101 examples you can go to www.eternal-productions.org/101science.html

6. The Manuscript Evidence 

A manuscript is a hand-written copy of an ancient document that predates the invention of the printing press in 1455. Today there survives more than 24,000 partial and complete, ancient handwritten manuscript copies of the New Testament alone, not to mention hundreds of Old Testament manuscripts that survive today dating back to as early as the third century B.C. There are enough quotations from the early church fathers that even if we did not have a single manuscript copy of the Bible, scholars could still reconstruct 99. 86% of the New Testament that we have today. 

7. The Bible’s Forthrightness About Its Author’s And Hero’s Failures 

Its forthrightness in this regard makes it absolutely unique among all other religious books. Unlike the authors of other religious writings the authors of the Bible did not seek to cast themselves in good light or to elevate themselves at all. The author’s openness about these kinds of details helps me to believe that these men were being honest about the things they wrote about.

8. The Willingness Of Jesus’ Disciples To Suffer

The disciples went to their graves, one by one, suffering and dying martyr’s deaths for their on-going belief and preaching that Jesus’ resurrection was an absolute fact of history! The disciples sealed their testimony that Christ was alive with their own blood. They went to their graves still affirming that the events which they had witnessed had actually occurred. I find it hard to believe that these men were lying. People may be willing to die for something that they think is true, but nobody willingly dies for something they know is a lie. 

9. The Bible’s Transforming Power For Good

The Bible claims to be living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12 , Psalm 19:7-10) and that has indeed proven to be the case. Millions of people, who would testify that they were immoral, vile sinners, drowning in drug addictions, alcoholism, pornography, gambling and the like, have been transformed into godly men and women as they have studied and followed the teachings of the Bible.

10. The Testimony Of Jesus, The Son Of God

Another reason that you can be sure that the Bible is trustworthy is because Jesus said it was! Jesus did not just claim to be the Son of God, He proved that He was the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1:4), fulfilling hundreds of Old Testament prophecies, living a sinless life, and performing a multitude of miracles. If Jesus is the Son of God, we can trust what He had to say about the word of God.

The force of this evidence is cumulative. If I was to present these arguments individually one might be inclined to argue that the evidence was inconclusive (that mere archaeological evidence does not convince them that the Bible is truly the Word of God). And that is valid. But, all ten of these evidences, when taken together, build a strong case for the trustworthiness of the Bible.

Money: Godly vs Worldly Mindsets

This week, I taught on the subject of MONEY. Money impacts everyone: rich, poor, old, young. We all spend money, but how do we manage our money wisely? And what does God require of us?

Whether you are a follower of Jesus or not, we will all possess money at some point in our lives, and God speaks on this subject throughout the Bible. What God has to say is not the same as the messages the world is sending out on how we manage our money. This is why it is so important to go to God and His Word to consider what He says about  the many practical subjects we face on a weekly if not daily basis. As Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you many discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” When we apply what Jesus has said to our lives He tells us that we will be blessed (John 13:17).

The Bible teaches that we are to use everything for God’s glory, and this includes our finances! We are to use our money and possessions for God’s glory and not our own. As Peter said, “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11) As we use all we have to glorify Jesus, we need to examine our time, our talents, and our earthly “treasures” and steward them with this in mind.

A helpful synopsis of a Godly perspective on money is found in a book called “Financial Freedom” by June Hunt.  We gave these booklets away for free to those that attended our service and I like them because it is a very practical booklet full of scripture. In it, she reminds us from a Biblical standpoint how a worldly mindset is different than a Biblical mindset on money. As you read it, I hope you are reminded and challenged to examine how you are viewing and managing your finances. Is it according to the world’s standard or God’s standard? 

WORLDLY MIND SET: To get what you want — GODLY MIND SET: To give you what you need 

Matt 6:31-33 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will beadded to you.

WORLDLY MIND SET: To be used in whatever way you wish — GODLY MIND SET: To be used only in trustworthy ways 

Luke 16:10-11 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

WORLDLY MIND SET: To gain temporary treasures — GODLY MIND SET: To gather eternal treasures 

Matt 6:19-20 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

WORLDLY MIND SET: To be valued above the soul — GODLY MIND SET: To be used to bless the soul 

Mark 8:36-37 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?For what can a man give in return for his soul?

WORLDLY MIND SET: To trust in the power of possessions —GODLY MIND SET: To trust in the power of God 

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

WORLDLY MIND SET: To obtain personal power thru possessions  — GODLY MIND SET: To demonstrate the Lord’s power to provide

Malachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you ablessing until there is no more need.

WORLDLY MIND SET: To selfishly build a personal Kingdom — GODLY MIND SET: To sacrificially share in God’s Kingdom 

2 Cor 8:3-5 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,begging us earnestly for the favor[a]of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

WORLDLY MIND SET: To supply all of your needs a part from God — GODLY MIND SET: To look to God to supply all of your needs

Phil 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.