Saturday, December 1, 2018

The Promises Fulfilled

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“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. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Matthew 1:22–25 (New Testament)

Thousands of years before Jesus was born, the first prophecy about His coming was made to Adam and Eve. Over the centuries that followed, more and more promises were made concerning the time, location, and manner of His birth. Every one of those was fulfilled in exact detail, not as a result of coincidence or happenstance, but because God arranged it perfectly. He worked on the hearts of powerful world leaders as well as ordinary common people, and did all that was required to keep His promises.

The story of Christmas is a powerful faith-building story if we look at it through the lens of fulfilled prophecy. All of the promises God has made to us, even ones not yet fulfilled, are just as certain and sure as those which have already come to pass. Every promise is kept because God will make whatever arrangements are necessary to fulfill them.

The challenges we face are not more daunting than those Mary and Joseph faced. The same power that watched over them and kept them safe on the long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and then the even longer journey from Bethlehem to Egypt is at work in our lives today. We can confidently expect God to do all that He has said. His promises are the power that we need for victory in daily living.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Faith in God is not a foolish belief, but a certainty based on His perfect record of keeping promises.

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel (which means 'God is with us'). Isaiah 7:14, The True Prophet

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel, whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity. Micah 5:2, The True Prophet, Old Testament