Prophecy, The Great Promise of God!

In the Word, we find many promises that God has made to each one of us. The Bible was written by God and through His words it was promised that He would do certain things.

Since the Bible is the indestructible, infallible, and unchanging Word of God, we can take what it says at face value.

We read that:

"no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so--it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit"—2 Peter 1:21

When God makes a promise we know that it will come to pass because He said so. There should be no doubt, it's one-hundred percent guaranteed!

Ultimate Promise of God

God made a promise in the Old Testament that He would send a Redeemer. So those who read God's Word during the time before Christ, should have taken these truths at face value. God's prophecies about the First Coming were guaranteed to happen.

Just as God promised, He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of the world.

The Bible prophesied that Jesus would come, and He did, just as the Bible predicted.

And don't just think that the Old Testament has one or two predictions about the First Coming, there are many more. Actually there are over 300 prophecies about the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And you guessed it, every single one of the prophecies were fulfilled just as the Bible said.

History Written In Advance

There is only one man who could have possibly fulfilled all of these prophecies, and that man was God in human flesh, Jesus Christ.

There is no doubt and no question that Jesus fulfilled every single prophecy!

Unfortunately many rejected Jesus as the Son of God. The same is true about prophecy today. Many people mock the Second Coming, claiming it will never happen.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Exactly as the First Coming of Jesus, all unfulfilled prophecy today is guaranteed to happen just as the Bible says.

It's history written in advance!

When God makes a promise we can be sure that it will come to pass. It's not a matter of if, but when.

Indestructible Promise of God

When God said He would send the Savior of the world, He did it. Likewise, when God says that this same Savior will return to earth to setup His thousand-year kingdom, we should believe Him!

Jesus is coming back; we have God's promise!

Many times people wonder why should we even study Bible prophecy? What's the point? I'm sure many people during the time before the birth of Christ wondered the same thing. Yet, if they had diligently studied prophecy they could have recognized Jesus as the prophesied Redeemer! Likewise, if we study prophecy today, we can be prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

How unfortunate it is that so many people will be caught off guard when Jesus returns. Matthew 24:44 says:

"You also must be ready therefore, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him."—Matthew 24:44

We need to be prepared and watching, we need to be ready.

The Promise of the Future

Jesus' return will actually be in two separate and distinct phases. I will be talking about this more in the future. I encourage you to subscribe free so you can be notified as soon as it's available.

While we have the glorious promises such as the return of Christ to fill our hearts with hope... for those who do not know Christ, the promise of the coming judgment should wake them up. The Bible tells us about a tribulation period that is coming in the future. It will be a terrible time for those left on earth; no one would ever want to experience such horrible events.

The Bible describes this period as a time of:

"great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now--no, and never will be [again]" —Matthew 24:21

It will be the worst time in all of history. Nothing before or again will compare to this disastrous period. It's coming, God has warned us! But we can be excited about the future, not because of the horrible time that is coming, but because Jesus promised to keep us out of it!

The Rapture of believers happens BEFORE the Tribulation Period. True believers will not be around to experience the Tribulation.

The Promise of the Rapture

What a loving, merciful and wonderful God we have, He has guaranteed that we will not go through the Tribulation!

Praise God, we can be excited because Jesus is coming back soon to "snatch away" all those who have put their faith in Him.

After the Rapture, those who have been taken to heaven to be with the Lord, will remain with Him forever. God has promised that we will live with Him for all eternity and will never again experience the pain or suffering that can occur on earth.

All of this pain and suffering is wiped away when we get to heaven. Sadness ends and real joy -- everlasting joy, begins! The Bible says that we should comfort each other with the truth of the Rapture. The return of the Lord is a comforting hope, Jesus is coming back to take us home, to our eternal home.

Let me ask you this... if the Rapture were to occur today, do you know for sure that you would not be left to experience the Tribulation? To know without a doubt, click here.

The Hope-Filled, Joyful Life

We can have joy here on earth! It doesn't mean we will go around laughing uncontrollably all the time, but it does mean we can have an internal peace and contentment that surpasses our own understanding. The Bible says:

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."—Philippians 4:6-7

God wants us to experience peace, joy, and an abundant life. We are not meant to lounge around here on earth unhappy, poor, and weak. No, God wants us to be full of joy, richly blessed, and faithfully confident in God!

Our purpose is not to be a weak Christian, but strong men and women for God. We are to be ambassadors for Christ who spread the Good News about His redeeming power to those who need to hear the message!

God Truly Loves You

Unfortunately, people sometimes have an incorrect view of God. They believe that He is mean and angry sitting on His post in heaven trying to find ways to make us miserable. This couldn't be further from the truth! God is overflowing with grace and love for each one us individually.

God loves you and cares about every infinitesimal detail of your life. He cares so much He has even numbered every single hair on your head!

That's how much God cares for you! I can't say it enough -- God loves you!

God loves YOU!

If you don't believe this in your heart, I encourage you to go to the Bible and study every verse on "love." You need to believe this absolute, unchanging truth! God loves you personally and individually! Don't ever forget this!

God Wants To Bless You

God is actually looking down from heaven trying to find ways to bless you! That's right, God is trying to find ways to make your life more abundant and joyful! But it takes seeking after God's will, not your own. We read in Psalm 37:4,5:

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass."—Psalm 37:4,5

God wants to give us the true desires of our heart! You can't expect God to truly bless you the way He wants to bless you if you are seeking after your own desires and not the Will of God. We need to ask ourselves, "Am I following God's plan for my life or my own plan?"

Who's plan we decide to follow, our own or God's plan, will make all the difference in how God will bless us.

In a way, by not choosing to submit our life to what God wants for us, we are rejecting the blessing God wants to give us.

The Wonderful Will of God

Remember how I said that God does not want to make us miserable? Don't make the mistake of believing that if you follow God's plan for your life that He will make you do everything you DON'T want to do.

Sure, it may take sacrifice, giving up some of the things you've been holding on to. Maybe there is something you have been trying to justify, but deep down you know that it's not the Will of God for your life. It may be hard to give it up, but in the end, you will be infinitely happier. After all, it could be keeping you away from God's blessings!

Going against the Will of God is much more difficult than following His wonderful plan for your life.

In fact, if you are going against what God wants for you, you're probably already miserable inside and everything in your life may seem very difficult. This may be the inner voice of God trying to tell you what you are doing is not from Him. Don't get me wrong, it could be a time of testing for you or a time where you have to endure hardship. I encourage you to pray that God will reveal His plan for your life.

The Joy of the Lord

And, by saying all of this, it also does not mean you will have to give up everything you've ever loved. You may not have to give up anything; I don't know your situation. But I do know that you have to be willing to give your life and anything God asks, IF God does ask you to do something. And if He does ask you to give up something, it probably wasn't right or good for you in the first place.

People have a fear that if they choose to follow God that they will end up doing something they hate and are miserable doing. This is simply not true, God cares too much for us to let that happen.

God wants us to enjoy our lives and be happy serving Him. He wants us to be full of joy and completely content and satisfied.

There are more ways to follow Jesus than just to become a preacher or a missionary in some distant country. God is calling you right where you are! You do not have to change a thing, you can come to Jesus just as you are, He will change your heart.

Ask And You Shall Receive

If you ask "Lord, how can I serve You, how can I follow Your Plan for my life" God will begin to work in your life, that's a promise. The Bible says:

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you."—Philippians 1:6

Chances are, you may already be in a situation where you can begin to share Jesus Christ with someone you know.

When you are willing, God will open up opportunities for you. And you certainly do not need to be afraid to share the Good News with someone. If God opens an opportunity, you can have faith that He will give you the strength AND the words to share His message of hope.

If you choose to follow the Will of the Lord with your whole heart, you will not be let down!

Jesus is not saying, "Come follow me, so you can be unhappy." Quite the opposite. You will never be happier than when you are following God with your whole heart! Each of us has a purpose, a reason for being here that God has given us. It is our choice whether or not we will fulfill our purpose, following God's true plan for our life.

You won't regret it if you do, God has promised.