During this time, some prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Acts11:27-29

Now, historical records confirm that this famine indeed happened as a result of a multinational grain shortage that occurred between the years of 45-47 A.D., just as the Biblical record asserts it would. And because of the prophesy sent by the Spirit ahead of time, and because of the corresponding obedience of the believers to give to the relief effort (before the famine had even begun), a major food crisis was averted in the city of Jerusalem, and it came primarily from the Greek/non-Jewish Christians in Antioch!

I cannot overstate the historical accuracy of the Bible for you all. As Christians today, as modern followers of the Savior, we have to know – we have to be confident that the Book we read and live by is not a book of legends, or myths, or just a collection of wise teachings and allegorical stories. The Christian Bible is a historically accurate record of God’s working in the world, which has been confirmed for centuries by parallel texts, secular histories, and archaeological findings.

And so when the prophesies contained in the Bible, like this one – which were publically known in their own time – when Biblical prophesies come to pass in reality, and then are then confirmed by secular records and archeological study – we have to pay attention to that.

I mean, either the words of the Bible are true or they aren’t. There’s no in between. And so time and time and time again, when the historical accuracy of the Bible is verified by yet another historical record or archeological finding – we have to take seriously the fact that the words written in the Christian Scriptures are true. They are accurate, they are God-inspired, and they are trustworthy.

So that’s why when something in my life, or something in my thinking, or some part of my worldview, or even something in my own “personal experience” – if it does not align with the teachings of Scripture – it is not the Bible that needs to change and to come into alignment with my life and my thinking and my worldview and experience. It is I who need to change to come into alignment with the accuracy and the integrity and the authority of Scripture.

And that’s not so God can squelch my opinions or push down my thoughts or my ideas about things – it’s so that I can experience the abundance that He wants for me and my life. Jesus said, “the thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy – but I have come that you may have abundant life.” (John 10:10)

Beloved: God loves you, God wants the best for you – and He knows what is best for us – and He gave us a written record of it so we could see it in plain ink! He’s not trying to harm you, or take away from you – those things are the work of the enemy. God is trying to set you free – AND give you abundant life.