what matters most?  #two.

We order our days around our priorities … or do we?                                        Do you and I make daily decisions based on what we believe means the most to us, or are we too often mostly operating on autopilot, not thinking too much about what we say means the most in our lives?  Dang, but I love to ask myself these kinds of questions! In my last briefing, I postulated that ->What matters most is knowing the purpose of our lives--why we are here, where we are going, and our uniqueness in God.  God reveals himself, and all of these things to us in his Word … the unfailing truths of Scripture.  Absolute truth.

How can I make such an outrageous claim that the Bible is trustworthy, that it is true…I mean, after all these years that it has been handed down and translated, right?  One big reason I make that claim is based on prophecy. 

Fulfilled prophecies are evidence that the Bible is trustworthy, and more importantly, establish the record of a TRUSTWORTHY GOD.  God himself said, “I have declared the former things from the beginning; they went forth from my mouth, and I caused them to hear it.  Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my carved image and my molded image have commanded them.’"  Isaiah 48:3,5

When Jesus Christ was born, he was the fulfillment of about 60 major prophecies concerning the Messiah.  These were promises given to God's people.  Christianity rides on the fulfillment of these prophecies in our Lord.  

Jesus said: Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17

Look at just eight of the prophecies about Jesus:

--that He would be: 

(prophecy)                                                  (fulfillment)

Born in Bethlehem   Micah 5:2                                      Matthew 2:1, 2:4-8, Luke 2:4-  John 7:42            Preceded by a messenger (John the Baptist) Isaiah 40:3   Matthew 3:1-2, 11:10, Luke 1:17;  John 1:23 

Riding into Jerusalem on a donkey     Zechariah 9:9     Matthew 21:6-11, Luke 19:35-37a

Betrayed by a friend                  Psalm 41:9                     Matthew 10:4

Sold for 30 pieces of silver        Zechariah 11:12            Matthew 26:15

Money thrown down, used to buy  Zechariah 11:13         Matthew 27:5, 27:7                                              a potter's field

Dumb before His accusers           Isaiah 53:7               Matthew 27:12 

Hands and feet pierced               Psalm 22:16               Luke 23:33

**The chance that any man might have lived and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17^th -- 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000        Science Speaks, Peter Stoner

The subject of prophecy is massive and quite intriguing to me, especially of late.  While the prophecies foretelling Jesus are certainly the most important for us to grasp.  However, in terms of God’s plans for humankind. . . do not lose sight of the promise of Jesus’ return.  In Acts 1.11, Luke wrote, “This Jesus will come again in the same way you see him go.”   So, Jesus is coming again! 

What else can be known from God’s Word?  First, in our generation alone– we have seen significant prophecies fulfilled.  Think of it--the Jewish people had been scattered since about 35 years after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Jerusalem, along with the Temple of course, was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70 and the Jewish people fleeing the horrific persecution had not had a homeland since.  That is, until May 14, 1948.  Unbelievably, Ezekiel prophesied some 2600 years ago that the people of Israel would return to her homeland…wait, what? Yes, in Ezekiel 34.13! The Book of Ezekiel was likely written between 593 and 565 B.C. during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews.  Who could believe such a thing?  And yet, 2600 years later – Israel became a nation again. Her people have been returning to the land ever since.  

There is more, but that will suffice for this briefing.  God is trustworthy because he keeps his promises and is yet today fulfilling biblical prophecies of thousands of years ago.  Trusting God is truly what matters most, Friends!

Me, teaching about our trustworthy God, and the credibility of the Bible:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1ONO6gjTMo