Friday, June 29, 2012 - Isaiah 7, 8, 9

Friday, June 29, 2012 - Isaiah 7, 8, 9

Halfway through my junior year of college, I began a relationship with
a woman who grew up in a strong Christian family. Initially, I was
repulsed when Jade (now my ex-girlfriend) even mentioned the name
Jesus. Forgive me Lord. I didn't know God and yet, I hated Him. Most
of the time, I denied God's existence. At times when I considered Him
to exist, I had all these negative preconceptions of who I thought He
was. All of this aforethought however, was demolished when I
experienced God's love. It was Jade's family that showed me this love.

The love they poured into me was not human, it was divine. No words
can describe the kindness, tolerance, and patience this family showed
me, despite the verbal and emotional abuse I inflicted on their
daughter. Their divine love raged against my sinful flesh and
completely disarmed me. Over a year and a half to two year period, the
"protective walls (which were actually walls of bondage)" I had put up
were brought down and I was brought to my knees. Three months after
Jade and I broke up, in January 2011, I cried out to God and asked
Christ into my heart. I had barely opened a bible, but nevertheless, I
knew Christ was Lord from His love.

That's where my faith began and it has only increased with this bible
reading journey. I'm learning more and more that Christianity is also
a faith based on facts, not just a blind-faith as some say it is.
Although I don't think there's anything more convincing than an
encounter with God; a taste of His goodness. Nonetheless, the facts
are undeniable too. There are over 300 Messianic prophecies in the Old
Testament that Christ Jesus fulfilled. In the book, "Science Speaks,"
Professor Peter W. Stoner stated that the probability of just eight
particular prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 1 in 10^17,
i.e. 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. An illustration of this probability
from the American Scientific Affiliation is as follows:

"If we take 1 X 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of
Texas, they'll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of
these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, 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?"

Again, that's an illustration of one person fulfilling just particular
eight Messianic prophecies. Jesus fulfilled all of them (over 300).
I've listed a few from today's reading below:

1. BORN OF A VIRGIN; 2. AS A HUMAN MALE; 3. AND CALLED IMMANUEL
-Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The
virgin[d] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[e] will call him
Immanuel.[f]
-Matthew 1:18-23 - This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came
about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but
before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the
Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law,
and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in
mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from
the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their
sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the
prophet: 23 "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and
they will call him Immanuel"[g] (which means "God with us").

In order that this blog doesn't go on forever (since it already has),
I've listed the other prophecies (from today's reading) below in short
form; you'll have to look them up:

4. A stumbling block to "chosen" people; OT prophecy - Isaiah 8:14;
fulfulled in Christ - 1 Peter 2:8
5. His ministry to begin in Galilee; OT prophecy - Isaiah 9:1, 2;
fulfulled in Christ - Matthew 4:12-17
6. Declared to be the Son of God with power; OT prophecy - Isaiah 9:6;
fulfulled in Christ - Romans 1:3, 4
7. No end to his Government, Throne, and Peace; OT prophecy - Isaiah
9:7; fulfulled in Christ - Luke 1:32-33

God Bless,
Anthony