Evidence for God: in black and white

Evidence for God is written in the inspired Words of God.

[I'm flying cross country today - no podcast!]

The other day I raised the question: Does God Exist? And because I definitely believe God exists and ought be the Difference Maker in each day of our lives, I gave evidence that points to the reality of God. God has revealed and continues to reveal himself through his creation--why, just look at a little child! Look up at the clouds, the trees, majestic mountains, the details in tiny flowers, the life in a swift river, or the pound of the ocean. Yes, God reveals himself in his magnificent creation!

God then revealed himself literally in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who put on flesh and blood to show us the greatest love we could ever know. And one thing I've noticed: no one who has a real encounter with Jesus is ever the same. And science? Though 'science' in the last couple hundred years has chosen to pit itself against the reality of God, stating that science and religion are incompatible, that is simply not so. Consider that scientific discovery has pointed us to the origin and design of the universe https://conta.cc/400uNAi; and how about the 1953 discovery of DNA--the fingerprint of God? And yet, science of course falls woefully short in establishing the reality of God and cannot answer the big questions of life--why we are here, [like why did God create us in the first place?] What is wrong with the world--is there a fix? What happens when we die? Listen to me for a minute: I have sat at the bedside of those who are taking their last breaths--even the most caustic atheist quietly asked me if he had possibly been wrong. 'Could there be something on the other side?' And then, 'how can I get there--if there really is a Heaven?' Then he asked me to pray for him.

Far more important than me studying DNA all day yesterday and not getting this out last night because of it (!), is knowing the answers to, and the source of, our big questions in life: 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 trustworthy truths of Scripture.

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? Let's start with prophecy.

Fulfilled prophecies are evidence that the Bible is trustworthy, and more importantly, they establish the record of a trustworthy God, who 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....'"1

There are some 1800 prophecies in Scripture2. When Jesus Christ was born, he was the fulfillment of about 60 major prophecies concerning the Messiah, 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.3

Considering just eight of the prophecies about Jesus--

-that He would be:

-Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2

-Preceded by a messenger (John the Baptist) Isaiah. 40:3

-Riding into Jerusalem on a donkey Zechariah. 9:9

-Betrayed by a friend Psalm 41:9

-Sold for 30 pieces of silver Zechariah 11:12

-Money thrown down, used to buy a potter's field Zech. 11:13

-Dumb before His accusers Isaiah 53:7

-that his hands and feet would be pierced Psalm 22:16

**The chance that any man might have lived and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th ­­ 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,0004

The subject of prophecy is massive and quite intriguing to me, especially of late, though the prophecies foretelling Jesus are certainly the most important for us to grasp. And in terms of God's plans for humankind. . . do not lose sight of the promise of Jesus' return. Check this out: "This Jesus will come again in the same way you see him go."5 So, Jesus is coming again! Given the current events in the Middle East, do you think he is coming soon?

In our generation alone­ we have seen significant prophecies fulfilled. Think of it­: ­the Jewish people had been scattered since A.D. 70, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and did not have a homeland again until May 14, 1948. Unbelievably, Ezekiel prophesied some 2600 years ago that the people of Israel would indeed return: "I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live."6

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, and her people have been returning to the land ever since.

There is more, even about the land of Israel, 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. The Bible is true and it is a treasure trove of information about the almighty God of the Universe.

Turn it up! I Believe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7PRGMQxNcM

Believing in God is reasonable ~ trusting in him is Life!

Christine

PastorWoman.net

1 - Isaiah 48:3,5a

2 - Bible prophecy, Ligonier Ministries, https://www.ligonier.org/posts/fulfilled-prophecy-demonstrates-divi...

3 - Matthew 5.17

4 - Science Speaks, Peter Stoner

5 - Acts 1.11

6 - Ezekiel 34.13