Sunday, July 12, 2015

The Miracle that we can see.

Have you ever found it difficult to accept the Bible as a supernatural book inspired by God, or found it difficult to believe the Bible's claims about miracles? Perhaps you say "I don't accept Jesus as the Son of God", "I don't believe that Moses parted the Red Sea", or "I cannot accept that Jesus walked on water". I assume that these are doubted because you haven't personally seen these types of miracles yourself or any miracle for that matter! However, I want to inform you that there are miracles that point to the fact that the Bible is a supernatural collections of books, that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God, that Moses parted the Red Sea, and yes, we can all see these miracles! So which miracles am I referring to?

See what the Apostle Peter wrote on the issue in 2 Peter 1:16-21:

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,[a] which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,[b] 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God[c] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.


Notice in verses 16 and 17 that Peter says he was an eyewitness of Jesus Christ and heard the voice of God when He said "This is my beloved Son". He then says in verse 18 that he was with Jesus on the holy mountain when he heard this voice. Here is where the miracle that we can all see comes in: In verse 19 he says "so we have the prophetic word confirmed", and concludes the passage in verse 21 by saying that prophecy never originated from man, but from the Holy Spirit who moved men to speak. So what is Peter saying here and what's so special about it? Peter is telling us that prophecies in the Bible didn't originate from man's imagination or guesswork, but from God himself. The Spirit of God through man spoke the words of the Bible and specifically the prophecies of the Bible (though all scripture comes from God), and these are "a light that shines in a dark place". Lights are meant to give guidance, they are meant to illuminate, allow us to see truth, and which path to take! The prophecies in the Bible are just that, a guide for us to discern truth and the work of the true God. So, how do we know that Bible has been inspired by God? By looking to its prophecies. When we "Heed" or follow these then we will be lead to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins according to prophecy in the Bible, and rose from the dead three days later. The Bible is true because it's a book from God, and it has proven itself to be a book from God.

For examples please see: Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Psalm 16:10, Psalm 110, Deuteronomy 18:15, Zechariah 12:10.

Compare these with the life of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. Also read the Books of Isaiah and Jeremiah to see how Biblical prophecy unfolded in history.

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