According to the Scriptures

According to the Scriptures 

by David Brenneman 

"Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” Mark 14:49.

"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. Do all the workers of wickedness not know, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon the Lord? There they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation. You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, But the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad." Psalms 14:1-7.

Jesus tells all that even to the minutiae of detail...Scriptures were being fulfilled. 

In no way has the God of Heaven ever been surprised by the deeds or thoughts of mankind.  

Satan thought he was getting the best of Jesus at His betrayal...but Jesus said plainly...even this was to fulfill the Scriptures.

When they mocked Him, beat Him, spit upon Him, this was fulfilling the Scriptures. 

When Judas thought he was sneaking away to do his deeds against his Master, Jesus saw him doing it.  

Think about that. In the Old Testament there was the servant of a prophet who thought he got away with something and tried lying about it. Was shown the error of his ways by being struck with leprosy. The prophet even said was not his heart with him when he accepted those things from the other person's hand?

Satan's schemes are just that, schemes. There's nothing new under the sun as King Solomon wrote in Eccleseastes.  

The life that Jesus was trying to teach the children of Israel to live who came out of Egypt, they never understood. They didn't want to understand. They just wanted what they had. They followed Jesus wherever it suited them but they were found out. They were called out for their stubborn hearts and stiff necked rebellion. 

We can be the same. We can lose our focus on the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. This will for us in Christ Jesus isn't health, wealth or prosperity. It isn't even our happiness. It's to bring about the works of God in Christ Jesus for each of us.  

If all a hospital did for a patient was to make them comfortable rather than to treat them for their issues, that's not going to help them much. In fact that's typically called hospice care. What would be done for those whom there's nothing more that can be done. 

Many many times hospitals put patients through some at the moment horrible things in order to bring about the desired results of a return to something resembling a normal life.   

In our spiritual life we are going to go through things that are indeed going to hurt in order to create the righteous life that God desires for you and I. This is entirely according to the Scriptures. 

Many people, myself included, often cry out to God asking "Why!?!?".

In the simplest of terms...Scripture is being fulfilled in our lives. 

When a person, place or thing is taking Jesus's place in our hearts there's going to be a progression towards a showdown. Sooner or later we are going to have a crisis. 

Scriptures will always be fulfilled.

Do you realize that when the final period is placed at the very final second of time designated by God for history...every single word of God in the Scriptures will have been fulfilled. Every single prophecy. Every single detail of every single prophecy.   

When it says that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...it means that is going to happen. Willingly or unwillingly it's going to take place. 

When Jesus came as a baby, that was spelled out in the Scriptures. 

When Jesus started His ministry, that was in the Scriptures. 

When Jesus was betrayed, what even the Pharisees and Sadducees said as they saw Him on the cross...even that was recorded thousands of years earlier. 

Jesus returning...will be fulfilling the Scriptures. 

For Believers, standing before Jesus to give an account of our lives...what we did in our lives for Christ...will be fulfilling the Scriptures. 

Every single person who has rejected Jesus is in painful torment in Hell, according to the Scriptures. 

There's no waiting room for God to decide. My Dear Reader...YOU are the one, according to the Scriptures, to decide if Heaven or Hell will be your destination. You will fulfill the Scriptures by your choice.  

Everything is going to come about according to the Scriptures. 

According to the Scriptures...you can choose life in Christ.  

According to the Scriptures...you choose because that's what the cross of Jesus Christ brought to you and I. Indecision is a choice. 

These same-said Scriptures say that everyone will be without excuse. Therefore all are without excuse before whom we have to do. 

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Setting your mind on the things that are above...is fulfilling the Scriptures. 

Taking every thought captive...is fulfilling the Scriptures. 

My Friend...you have been given the opportunity to do the right thing according to the Scriptures...it's on you to go through with it. 

The world is embroiled in wars and rumors of wars. There indeed are earthquakes and famines in various places. Surprisingly, this is exactly according to the Scriptures. 

"And I will grant wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below," Acts 2:19a.

See any or hear of any lately?

In the life of a Believer...the work of the Spirit of God is entirely according to the Scriptures. To make each of us more like Christ. 

Jesus is returning soon. I know it because the Scriptures say that is going to happen. Just as it was from the Scriptures that I learned about eternal life in Jesus.  

Jesus said that He went away to prepare a place for those who are His workmanship. That if He goes to do this that He will return and receive those people to Himself. 

Where are you in the Scriptures? You are either among those who believe or among those who don't. 

The consequences for each are exactly according to the Scriptures.  

Not according to denominations or religions but according to the Scriptures. 

Not according to a specific version of the Bible either. Whole religions have been built around a single version of the Bible.  

The Scriptures say how people will be in the last days. We see this in our world today.  

People accumulating for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires.  

Whole religions are out there that will teach people what their itching ears want to hear. Yes, according to the Scriptures. 

What about you? Are you directing your life according to the Scriptures? As Believers we will have our works tested by the Scriptures. 

The Scriptures say that if a person's name isn't written in the book of life...they will never see Heaven. Trillions of people are in Hell because their names aren't written there. They rejected Jesus according to the Scriptures. 

While you breathe there's hope. That too is according to the Scriptures. One second after you die, according to the Scriptures, your eternity is sealed.

Be sure of your salvation in Christ Jesus today. According to the Scriptures...your eternity depends on it.

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.