One of the great things about the Bible is how it ties together. The books were all written separately over the course of a couple thousand years, and archaeological evidence continues being found supporting the details. The books are also written with reference to secular kings and rulers that can be cross referenced with other archaeological evidence.

This makes the Bible prophecies all the more amazing.

At this Christmas time of year, one prophecy in particular is relevant.

One of the many prophecies about Jesus and which Jesus fulfilled is in Micah 5:2 where the prophet wrote, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”

Micah wrote this several hundred years prior to Jesus’ birth, but specified the town in which the Messiah would be born. It would be like someone from a time before the founding of the United States, writing the name of the town from which a US President 100 years from now would be born; Obviously hard to explain outside of the supernatural.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us the rich complexity and detail in our Bible, providing us continually amazing evidence for Bible accounts. Help us use this detail to strengthen our own faiths and our witness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

I am sure Christians of the first century who heard the teachings of the original apostles expected to see Jesus’ return in their lifetimes. I imagine they would be surprised if they knew at the time that we would be reading the teachings of Paul, Peter, and the other apostles 2000 years later, and still be waiting anxiously for Jesus’ return.

I sometimes wonder why we don’t have prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ellijah and John, today. But in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Paul writes, “Do not smother the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at those who prophesy, but test everything that is said to be sure it is true, and if it is, then accept it.” Maybe we do have prophets today; we just call them teachers, pastors, and authors.

John describes a test for prophets in 1 John 4:1,2. He writes “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God, for there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.”

Dear Lord, thank you for those who teach us your word and help us in our walk with you. Help us to be wise to know your truth when it is taught. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I heard someone say once, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” I had to think about that for a bit. I think there is truth to this concept when we think about the principles we live by. If we are honest, in one area of our lives, we will likely be honest in others. If we are caring and compassionate in one area of our lives, we are likely to be so in others as well. However, the opposite is likely true

In Luke 16:10, Jesus tells us a similar concept, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

We need to look at ourselves and evaluate whether we are living up to the standards we desire. If we see that we are slipping in small areas, we are probably slipping in big areas as well.

Dear Lord, help us examine our thoughts and actions to make sure that we are striving to be the person who can be trusted with little and with much. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Occasionally we all have a problem that we have no idea how it can work out for the best; A situation that looks impossible to solve.

It is easy for us, Christians, to believe in our minds and in an academic way that God is all powerful, capable of doing anything. However, when things are difficult for us, especially when we have created our own problems, it is not so easy to believe in real and practical terms that God can and will resolve it for us.

At those times a great verse to remember is Psalms 46:10. He [God] says, “be still, and know that I am God….”

Solving our problems is easy for God. We don’t always know how he will do it, but we need to ask, and know, without doubt that he can.

Dear Lord, remind us of your power and help us live our lives truly knowing that you are almighty. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Paul writes in Hebrews 4:16, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

I try to picture this situation in my mind’s eye; We, simple humans, boldly approaching Almighty God who made everything and has power over everything. How could that be appropriate? Yet just like an earthly father, who wants to provide for his family’s needs and help them be all they can be, God wants us to come to him with the confidence that He has mercy and grace beyond our understanding to help us.

Dear Lord, what a humbling and powerful confidence this gives us to know that we can come to you boldly and you will always be there with mercy and grace for us when we are in need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.