Have you ever wondered how many people read the Bible and how often people read it? Take a moment to participate in my “Bible reading survey” – let others know how often you read the word of God.
Posts Tagged ‘Bible’
Bible reading survey
Thursday, January 28th, 2010The Bible is like no other book
Friday, September 4th, 2009IT IS OFTEN said that the Bible is it’s own best interpreter…
How true! One of the great things in the New Testament is that we can see the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies. Those things written before were written for our learning (Romans 15:4) and for our examples (I Corinthians 10:11).
We serve God who knows all things without the limitations of time that we have. He knows the future as well as He knows the past and present. To help us (and those before us) to have greater faith, He made promises in the prophecies and then fulfilled them in minute detail. Jesus said, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44).
For example:
Isaiah (some 800 years before) prophesied that Jesus would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew 1:22,23 says, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,’ which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Other examples of the New Testament explaining the prophecies include:
Jesus came out of Egypt. Hosea 11:1 & Matthew 2:15
The innocent babies would be slaughtered. Jeremiah 31:15 & Matthew 2:17
The Lord would work in the area of Capernaum. Isaiah 9:1,2 & Matthew 4:14
Jesus came to bear our infirmities and sicknesses. Isaiah 53:3,4 & Matthew 8:17
The Lord showed great compassion. Isaiah 49:6 & Matthew 12:17
The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus. Isaiah 61:1 & Luke 4:21
People would hear and not understand. Isaiah 6:9,10 & Matthew 13:13,14; John 12:37-41
Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. Zechariah 9:9 & Matthew 21:4
Judas would betray Jesus. Psalms 41:9 & John 13:18
Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Zechariah 11:12,13 & Matthew 27:9
Jesus was numbered with the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12 & Mark 15:28
The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes. Psalms 22:18 & Matthew 27:35; John 19:24
Not one of Jesus’ bones would be broken. Psalms 34:20 & John 19:36
The odds of all of these (and more) being so perfectly fulfilled defy the skeptics to regard these as chance. Instead, our faith in God and in His word, the Bible, grows when we see that He always keeps His word. When we apply this to those promises for us, we have a hope that no one can take away from us. Jesus promised that He is coming back. He always keeps His promises. Let’s make sure we are ready. (Roger Wright)
“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16).
–Mike Benson
JUSTICE OR MERCY?
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009I heard about an 80-year-old woman who was arrested for shoplifting. When she went before the judge in Cincinnati he asked her, “What did you steal?”
She replied “A can of peaches.”
The judge asked her why she had stolen the can of peaches and she replied that she was hungry. The judge then asked her how many peaches were in the can.
She replied, “Six.”
The judge said, “Then I will give you six days in jail.” Before the judge could actually pronounce the punishment, the woman’s husband spoke up and asked the judge if he could say something.
The judge said, “What is it?”
The husband said, “She also stole a can of peas.”
It’s so true that whenever others are found guilty, we want to make sure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I sometimes ask people the question, “Do you want a judge (or a police officer) who shows mercy or one who administers justice?” The answer I get is almost always the same — if we are standing before the judge or pulled over by the police officer, we want mercy; if others are standing there, we want justice.
The interesting thing about God is that He is perfect in His justice while at the same time full of mercy. How can He be both? When we are guilty of sin, He finds us guilty to the full extent of the law. The penalty for our sin is death — spiritual death, separation from God (Romans 6:23). But, in His mercy, God has found a way to pay the price Himself.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
Praise God for being the just and holy God that He is, but praise Him as well for being full of grace and mercy.
– Alan Smith