Doctor Luke did his homework, and the Holy Spirit ensured the validity of what he wrote.
We can have complete confidence in the texts of the Christian Bible. The events recorded in both Luke and Matthew’s Gospels, regarding the conception, birth, and nativity of Jesus Christ are absolutely true. God really did become one of us, putting on the robes of human flesh, yet without sin. God’s only begotten Son was Mary’s firstborn Son, and He was born in the little town of Bethlehem, just as the Prophet Micah said He would.
The Impossible Mission
Like Mary, we have been given a mission, and like Mary we must be bold and be strong, for the Lord thy God is with you. Giants will fall, walls will tumble, and the gates of hell will not prevail because God is on your side.
What Are The Odds?
As the Christmas season begins, let’s look at eight prophecies concerning the birth and early years of the Messiah. We’ll look first at the prophecies in the Old Testament and then the New Testament fulfillment, remembering the astronomical improbability that these could have been fulfilled by chance alone. And this is just the tip of the iceberg of more than 300 prophecies.
Barren Place to Birthplace
In our text, we see a couple – Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth – who came from the priestly lineage of their forefather Aaron. They were righteous, they walked in God’s commands and ordinances, and they were blameless ... but they were barren. They had no children, but even with the prospect of children quickly fading, they never stopped serving the Lord, and they had never stopped praying for their miracle.
God of Turnarounds
I’ve prayed the impossible prayer in my own life, and I’ve seen God move in situations where there seemed to be no hope. I believe that when we are walking in God’s will and serving God in His kingdom, we can ask for the impossible and expect the impossible when it aligns with His plans and purposes.
The Lord Will Provide
A prophet must listen to God, and a prophet must obey God. Elijah heard the word of the Lord, and Elijah obeyed the word of the Lord, even though, logically, it probably didn’t make sense to him. Verse 9 says, “So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks.” There she was, exactly as the Lord said she would be. This was the place, and there was the widow, so Elijah pressed ahead and obeyed God.
When the Brook Dries Up
We know that God could have kept the water in the brook flowing, so why did the brook Cherith dry up? This may seem irrelevant to us; after all, not many of us will find ourselves in the wilderness dependent upon water from a brook. However, there are other kinds of streams in our lives that we depend upon, and sometimes God allows those streams to dry up as well.
Hearing the Voice of God
Too often, the Church is fearful when they should be faithful. Elijah must have known what would happen when he marched into the king’s court and pronounced a famine. Ahab was wicked, and the threat of death for doing what God asked Elijah to do was very real. If we are going to live the Elijah life, then we must be driven by faith and not by fear.
The Days of Elijah
My question is, where are the prophets of God? Where are the men and women who will courageously stand up and declare that according to God’s Word, the immoral eethos of our time is neither right nor normal? The body of Christ must never placate or acquiesce to this state of affairs. Yes, we should be compassionate toward the people who are in bondage to sin, but we should never, in the name of compassion, become complicit in the evil that is afflicting the world.
Victory Over Death
Paul said that not only is death defeated, but it will also be destroyed. There will come a time (in a place where there is no time) when death will no longer exist. Death came into existence through the sin of Adam, but through Jesus Christ, life has been given as a gift to all who believe in Him and in the power of His sacrifice on the cross.