God's Promises Still Stand

                                             

When Corrie Ten Boom was entering the dreaded Ravensbruck prison she smuggled in a Bible.  She wrote about the experience in her book “Jesus is victor”. She wrote” my sister Betsie and I together with thousands of other women were matched into Ravensbruck; it was called a work camp. When we first came into this concentration camp, they took all our possessions. It was a real miracle that I was able to keep my Bible.

At a great risk I hid it on my back under my dress and I prayed “Lord will you send your angels to surround me?” then I thought, but angels are Spirits and you can see through Spirits. I don’t want these people to see me! So I prayed, in great fear, “let your angels not be transparent. Let them cover me”. And God did it! As we passed through the inspection, the woman in front of me was searched, then my sister directly behind me was searched, but I walked through unsearched !

Our barrack was built for four hundred women but they packed fourteen hundred of us inside. Bunks were stacked all the way to the ceiling and we each had a sleeping space only a few inches wide. When they were all working, we had eight toilets to the entire barracks! In Ravensbruck it was dangerous to use the word of God. If you were caught teaching the Bible you were killed in a cruel way.

The guards never knew I had a Bible meeting twice each day in barrack 28.  First we did it only on Sunday, but when I saw that so many people died or were killed from one Sunday to the next, I decided to risk it every day.  That jammed room was filthy, crawling with fleas and lice so the guards never came inside. You see how the Lord used both the angels and the lice to keep my Bible in my possession”.

In Acts 3 we read about the first miracle after the ascension of Jesus. The miracle attracted a great crowd providing an opportunity for Peter's second sermon (Acts 3:11-26).  Peter said to the crowd “you killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see” (vv.15,16).

Peter said that it was in the name of Jesus that the man had been made whole. He healed him in the authority and power of Jesus. While still on earth Jesus had told the disciples that “very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing and they will do even greater works than these, because I go to the Father, I will do whatever you ask in my name ... You may ask for anything in my name and I will do it” (John 14:13-14). This promise still stands.

Jesus told his disciples “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matt 21:22). By faith they could heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead and remove mountains. He had enabled them to perform miracles while He was still on earth (Luke 9:1-6,Luke 10:1-2,17). The disciples knew that Jesus was still with them. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) has this promise attached to it “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”.

Peter said “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Samuel and all the prophets that followed after, had told of these days” (Acts 3:17,18, 24). You fulfilled the scripture. It was declared many years ago, by the mouth and pen of the prophets, that Christ should suffer, in order to accomplish his mission.

The details of the birth, life and death of Christ predicted by the Old Testament prophets were fulfilled in the New Testament. The prophets predicted he would be born of a virgin and his name would be Emmanuel (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:22-23) , born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matt 2:1), escape to Egypt  (Hosea 11:1, Matt 2:13-15). He would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-8, Luke 7:21-22). He would not open his mouth (Mark 15:3-5); He would be assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; (Isa.53:7,9; Matt 27:38-44,57-61)

He would say “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. ‘He trusts in the Lord,’ they say, ‘let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.’” They pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment”(Ps 22.1,7-8,16-18; Matt.27:35, 39,41,46). You will not abandon me in the realm of the dead nor will you let your faithful one see decay (Ps. 16:10; Luke 24:1-8).

Men tried to defeat the prophecy of God. They killed the author of life. They knew he had said he would resurrect so they had his tomb guarded to prevent it (Matt 62-65). However, when the time came for Jesus to get out of the tomb the soldiers fell backward as dead men(Matt. 28:1-6). They could not prevent the rolling of the stone or stop Jesus from getting out. God fulfilled what he had spoken through the Prophets. Things happened just as he had said they would, punctually and exactly, without any variation.

Peter relied upon Scripture as his greatest source of proof (vv. 18- 24). He knew the word of God quite well and quoted with ease the relevant Scripture for each argument. The witness for Christ must be conversant with the Word of God. He must have full confidence in it and rely upon it to convince his hearers. God used His Word to convince and convert men when Peter preached; He used it when Paul preached; He used it then and He will use it today. Too many arguments given without any reference to Scripture cannot save anyone.

Peter later wrote “we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty… We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts . Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the Prophet's own interpretation of things...prophets though human spoke from God (1 Peter 1:16-21).

In Jeremiah’s day, there were many corrupt prophets. In Jeremiah 23:16-29 we are told that the Prophets were not taking the things of God seriously. They spoke visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, "the Lord says, you will have peace". And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say "no harm will come to you" (vv.16-17). We have similar prophets today.

But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?  I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council , they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned from their evil ways and from their evil deeds (vv.18-25).

I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a   dream ...how long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? ... Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the Lord. Is not my word like fire", declares the Lord, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" (vv. 26-29).

God said the dreamer can tell his dream if he wished, but it should be made clear that it was a dream and not a word from God. But, the one who had God’s word should speak it faithfully. The dream of the corrupt prophet was like straw; something of little substance. But God’s word, faithfully presented is alive and life-giving like wheat. Like fire it can melt the hardest heart and consumes every impurities. Like a hammer it has the power to break up the “fallow ground” (Hosea 10:12).

God’s word has inherent power to enlighten, convince and convert the soul. Hebrew 4:12 states that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. The Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

The word of God is a mirror (Jam.1:23-24). Just as we look into a mirror to see our physical appearance, so too can we look into God's Word to see our spiritual condition. Mirrors are often seen as gateways to truth and self-awareness. The word of God allows a person to see himself as God sees him. It shines a light on the heart and mind, revealing sins, shortcomings and areas of life where repentance is needed.

God's Word is like a seed that is imperishable, living and enduring (1 Peter 1:23). In Mark 4: 26-29 Jesus said   “this is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

It is clear to us, as we review the life of Jesus, that the Word of God was fulfilled.  Frequently we are told that certain things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled. It is just as certain that the promises and prophecies in the Bible which relate to the future shall be yet fulfilled. Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt.24:35).  When it is all said and done and every prophecy has been fulfilled, God’s word will still be standing.