"I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God, and a complete rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him. . . . That He made man at first perfectly holy; that the first man sinned, and as he was the public head of his posterity, they all became sinners in consequence of his first transgression, are wholly indisposed to that which is good and inclined to evil, and on account of sin are liable to all the miseries of this life, to death, and to the pains of hell forever. I believe that God . . . did send His own Son to become man, die in the room and stead of sinners, and thus to lay a foundation for the offer of pardon and salvation to all mankind, so as all may be saved who are willing to accept the Gospel offer. . . . I believe a visible church to be a congregation of those who make a credible profe ssion of their faith in Christ, and obedience to Him, joined by the bond of the covenant. . . . I believe that the sacraments of the New Testament are baptism and the Lord's Supper. . . . I believe that the souls of believers are at their death made perfectly holy, and immediately taken to glory: that at the end of this world there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a final judgment of all mankind, when the righteous shall be publicly acquitted by Christ the Judge and admitted to everlasting life and glory, and the wicked be sentenced to everlasting punishment.

 

God commands all men everywhere to repent. He also commands them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and has assured us that all who do repent and believe shall be saved... [G]od... has absolutely promised to bestow them on all these who are willing to accept them on the terms of the Gospel - that is, in a way of free grace through the atonement. "Ask and ye shall receive [John 16:24]. Whosoever will, let him come and take of the waters of life freely [Revelation 22:17]. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out" [John 6:37]."

 

DAILY READING : EZEKIEL 5 - 8

 

TEXT : Eze  6:8 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.  6:9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.  6:10 And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

 

THEME : PROPHECY

 

A prophecy is not valid until God brings it to pass. Perhaps this is why the Jews ignored Isaiah, Jeremiah, and finally Ezekiel. They may have believed a living idol is better than an unseen God. Yet, the living God waits for men and women to "prove Him," that they may know He is God. Therefore, when you know the LORD, there is a daily witness of His existence. Further, when you know His Word, there is a constant reminder of His principles, precepts, and promises. The LORD is never without a witness to His truth.

 

The Jews should have learned from their own history what happens when they ignore God's Law. Their parents and teachers taught them as children. In the Law and their history, there was substantial evidence that God can bless or curse. Moreover, He told them this, in advance, in the Book of Deuteronomy. They did not listen.

 

Still, you would imagine once God begins to judge they would return to the LORD. You may believe people under God's discipline will become inclined to "mend their ways" and "seek the LORD." However, human nature is utterly corrupt. So much so, the severest discipline in no guarantee of repentance. We have seen this truth before in the Book of Revelation. Once again, I list the passages for your review.

 

- Rev_2:21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

 

-  Rev_9:20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

 

-  Rev_9:21  Neither repented they of their murders , nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

 

-  Rev_16:9  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

 

-  Rev_16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

 

Humanism believes Man merely needs more education, more love, and more understanding. However, the Bible - the Book written by the One True God, states whether the environment is pristine and ideal [Adam and Eve] or hostile and worthless [Jeremiah and Ezekiel], people do not learn the truth from pleasure and comfort or pain and misery. The Bible uncovers the reality of human nature - Man resists God whether times are good or bad. Human nature is entirely corrupt. Sin is the culprit.

 

TRUTH FOR TODAY : "FULFILLED PROPHECY IS THE GREATEST PROOF OF THE BIBLE'S DIVINE INSPIRATION."

 

Until God validates a prophecy by bringing it to pass, it is merely a statement, a claim. Still, history discloses the amazing accuracy of the Bible through fulfilled prophecy. The Bible provides supernatural evidence of God's authorship in the accuracy of its prophecies.

 

For instance, when Jesus came, He fulfilled about 300 prophecies. [About one third of the Bible is predictive or prophetic in nature]. Dr. Peter Stoner, a mathematician, decided to test the mathematical probability of Jesus fulfilling only 8 prophecies - by chance. Remember, Jesus fulfilled about 300. The results of the possibility of Jesus fulfilling just 8 of those 300 prophecies - unplanned and unintended, that is, by "coincidence," are mind numbing.

 

Using the illustration of silver dollars, and the [conservative] estimate of the probability of Jesus fulfilling 8 prophecies was one chance in ten to the 17th power [1 x10,000,000,000,000,000,00], Dr. Stoner w rote -

 

"Suppose that we take 10[x] 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thorou ghly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom.

 

Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10[x] 17 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.

 

This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one change in 10[x] 17 of being absolute."[1]

 

Fulfilled prophecy is the greatest proof of the Bible's Divine inspiration. Therefore, believe God's promises and heed His warnings. As we approach the Coming of Christ, God prophecies of a remnant - Jews and Gentiles, to be saved. Be sure you are in this remnant of humanity!