6 Reasons We Can Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.....By Jim Burns

 6 Reasons We Can Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

By Jim Burns

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. —1 Corinthians 15:17

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. If Christ did not rise from the dead, your faith is in vain. But you can be assured that the good news is true. Jesus Christ “was buried [and] he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4).

Throughout the ages, skeptics have tried to disprove the Resurrection experience, but it stands the test of time. Here are six proofs that Jesus actually rose from the dead:

First Proof— The Resurrection was foretold by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. —Matthew 16:21

Second Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for His empty tomb.

Joseph brought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. —Mark 15:46

Third Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the appearance of Jesus Christ to his disciples.

He was buried…raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and…appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to…me also, as to one abnormally born. —1 Corinthians 15:4-8

Fourth Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the beginning of the Christian Church.

This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. —Acts 2:23-24

Fifth Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the transformation of the disciples. The disciples went into hiding in an upper room “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). After seeing and talking with Jesus for approximately six weeks, they went out to “turn the world upside down” (see Acts 17:6), fearlessly proclaiming Jesus Christ (also see Acts 3:12-26; 4:1-33; 8:4; 17:6).

Sixth Proof— The witness of the apostle Paul and the transformation of his life, can be reasonably explained only because of the resurrection of Christ. “Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22).

GOING DEEPER:

1. Reread 1 Corinthians 15:17. Why is it important that Jesus rose from the dead?
2. Why are these six proofs important to your faith and life?

FURTHER READING:

Isaiah 53:5-6; Romans 4:25; 5:6-8

The Word.....Craig Denison Ministries

 The Word

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that we can have the heart of our heavenly Father. We don’t have to wonder how he feels about us. We don’t have to wonder if he will guide us. We don’t have to question whether he loves us or cares about us. Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God. May your relationship with God go deeper and become freer as we learn how to have God’s heart this week.

Scripture:

“For 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.” Hebrews 4:12

Devotional:    

Scripture is one of the best indications we have of God’s intense longing to be known by his people. Every time we open up the Bible we are looking at a miracle. God has revealed himself to us in a way that is beyond dispute and beyond anything we could ask or imagine. Within the pages of Scripture we see countless examples of God’s grace, love, presence, power, and unfathomable desire to have a restored relationship with us.

Oftentimes I take for granted how amazing it is to have the Bible. Because I grew up knowing Scripture to be God’s word, it was always normal to me. Never before had I looked at it and realized what a powerful declaration it was of God’s desire to be known by me. And our Father didn’t just leave us with some words he spoke thousands of years ago, but gave us the Holy Spirit to help us understand and receive revelation from the word.

In reading Scripture with the Holy Spirit we can come to a real, transformative understanding of God’s heart. There is no refuting what God says in the Bible. There is no questioning whether the words we’re reading are true, important, or applicable.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For 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.” 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” And Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

If you’re longing to know the heart of God today, search his word. God has preserved the Bible you have today for the purpose of revealing himself. When you seek him out through the reading of Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will find him. May your time of guided prayer be filled with revelation and transformation as God’s heart is revealed.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the power of Scripture in revealing God’s heart.

“For 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.” Hebrews 4:12

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:20-23

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart of God as you read his word. Have faith that God longs to reveal himself to you.

3. Take time to read Scripture. Pick a passage of Scripture and write down aspects of God’s heart you find. Place your hope and trust in the words of the Bible.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

Reading Scripture with the Holy Spirit brings God’s word to life. The Bible isn’t just a book of rules. It’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s meant to be read with the understanding that its words were inspired by the One who dwells within you. May your heart be stirred to meditate on God’s word that it might produce peace and joy in your life today.

Extended Reading: Joshua 1

The Sun Still Came Up.....STACY LOWE

 The Sun Still Came Up

STACY LOWE

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

I crawled out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, grabbed my camera and drove to the beach. It was January 1 — the start of a new year — and I planned to mark it with a picture of the sunrise over the ocean.

Shivering in the cold, I waited for the sun to peek over the horizon, but as the minutes ticked by, all I could see was a thick blanket of gray. The bright, colorful hues I had been hoping for were nowhere to be found. It soon became painfully obvious I wasn’t going to see the sun.

Disappointment flooded my heart. That day was set to be the start of a yearlong photography project, and now my plan for the perfect “Day 1” photo had come to nothing.

That’s when it suddenly hit me: The sun still came up.

I couldn’t see it, of course — it was obscured by clouds — but if the sun wasn’t there, how could I have seen anything else? I was surrounded by sunlight and almost missed it simply because it didn’t show up the way I wanted it to.

How many times have I missed seeing God for that very same reason?

You see, it’s easy for me to take note of God’s presence when life goes exactly the way I think it should; I thank Him for His blessing and move on with my day. Problem is, that’s rarely how it goes. More often than not, my plans are interrupted as my day is rearranged, and my head is left spinning, trying to keep up with it all.

But those moments don’t slip by the God of the universe. He isn’t caught unawares.

He is right there with me, just like He’s always been. How, then, can I better see Him? The prophet Isaiah offers us a clue in today’s key verse:

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)

Keeping my thoughts fixed on God broadens my perspective beyond what’s right in front of me. It reminds me that my daily purpose is not to satisfy my own agenda but to play my carefully orchestrated part in accomplishing His.

As I remember this, my heart is flooded with that perfect peace Isaiah speaks of, and my eyes are opened to search for God in each and every moment, whether that moment looks anything like I imagined it or not.

I smiled as I left the beach that morning. I may not have gotten the picture-perfect sunrise I had hoped for, but the lesson God tucked in my heart was infinitely better.

Father, You have a plan for me this day and every day. When nothing looks the way I imagined it would, remind me You’re still there. Help me see the proof of Your presence all around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The God Who Forgives.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 The God Who Forgives

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus Christ gave His followers a pattern for prayer that includes seeking forgiveness daily. The invitation to regular repentance is not a means of renewing our salvation, but rather a maintenance plan for our fellowship with the Lord. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, our sins are forgiven forever. The stains from our past, present, and future wrongs are wiped from our record; however, we're a fallen people so we do continue to commit sin.

With the exception of Jesus Christ, no person is perfect. Sin is simply a fact of human life. The Lord's payment for our transgressions means that we can look forward to an eternity spent in God's presence instead of getting the punishment we deserve. On this side of heaven, though, we still have to contend with our tendency to do wrong--and we must also deal with the consequences. The Lord's admonition to seek daily forgiveness is a reminder to confess our sins and turn away from them because we are forgiven.

God's grace is not a license to sin; instead, it's a reason to pursue righteousness. Bad attitudes, thoughtless actions, and unkind speech do not fit who we are as children of light. We're new creatures in Christ, bought for a price and set free to live as partakers of His grace.

Salvation makes a way for us to enter God's presence, while regular confession and repentance keep the pathway well maintained and free of obstruction (1 John 1:9). The so-called "sinner's prayer" need be said only once, but a saint will tap into God's forgiveness every day of his or her life.

Tell it, Lord!.....by Shawn McEvoy

 Tell it, Lord!

by Shawn McEvoy

He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!" Matthew 9:9

In the margin of my Bible next to Matthew 7:11 is a notation dated 9/1/90. It says:

"I love verses with exclamation points!"

That particular verse, in case you were wondering, says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

I wonder why editors chose an exclamation point there, and not a question mark. I also wish I knew the inspiration or emotion that prompted me to make the notation. All I know is that it would have been made during the first or second week of my sophomore year of college, and at the time I was a Youth Ministry major. And that the sentiment has continued.

Coming across that notation again recently prompted me to look up more verses in which Jesus is credited with having expressed some extra "oomph." Of course, the original manuscripts were not inscribed with modern punctuation marks. Those have been left up to various translators through the years. In my New American Standard Version of Matthew's Gospel, however, the emphasis has been added to several statements the Lord made, and some of those may be categorized as follows:

Rebuke of Temptation

Matthew 4:10-11: Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" Then the devil left Him...

Matthew 16:23: But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

Rebuke of Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:23-39: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!... Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Matthew 11:18-19: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

Matthew 12:12: "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Stern Warning

Matthew 9:30: "And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See here, let no one know about this!"

Matthew 6:23: "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

Regarding Spiritual Warfare

Matthew 8:32: And he said to them, "Begone!" And they came out, and went into the swine..."

Matthew 10:24-25: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of the house!"

Stirring to Faith in Action

Matthew 12:13: Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.

Matthew 14:16: But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"

Matthew 14:29: And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 9:9: He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!"

Remembering the Father's Provision

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" 

Making a Radical Point

Matthew 12:49-50: "And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."

Sadness

Matthew 26:24, 46: "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!... Arise, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays me is at hand!"

Matthew 18:7: "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!"

Regarding the End Times

Matthew 24:19: "But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days!"

The Father's Confirmation of His Son

Matthew 17:5: Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"

Listen to Him indeed. What is He saying? How emphatically is he saying it?

Don't mess around when temptation comes.
Don't disregard the spiritual realm and the forces that oppose you.
Be stirred to action.

Recognize once and for all that God has provided for you like the loving Father He is, so that you are free to do His will without worry.
Following Christ is a radical road, but those that betray the Way and put stumbling blocks in the road will be left to God's judgment.
Dangerous days are coming.
But in the end, your belief is in the Son of Almighty God!

Intersecting Faith & Life: Pick another one of the Gospels and study the points of emphasis you find the Lord saying there.

 

A Prayer for the Deep Waters of Life.....By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

 A Prayer for the Deep Waters of Life

By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” – Luke 5:4

Recently, I spent time with several women who are striving to truly experience the Lord’s presence and live through the Spirit’s power and strength in their daily lives. They’ve been diving into His Word like never before and seeking to move past surface-level Christianity. But it’s not easy, y’all. So, I’ve been thinking about what that really looks like… and how we live that out.

This past Sunday, at church, we studied the story of the Miracle Catch in Luke Chapter 5:1-11. Jesus had been teaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and noticed two empty boats. He chose to step into Simon Peter’s boat, and had him push it out into the water, where he sat and taught awhile. When He was done, He turned to Simon in verse 4 and said, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” After some back and forth, Simon decided to listen to Jesus, and he went. His nets were so full from the amount of fish he caught, that they began to tear, and he had to call for help! Simon was so overcome that he fell at Jesus’ feet. Jesus said to him, “From now on, you’ll be fishing for people!”

There is so much more we could talk about in this story, but for now, this one thing is what the Lord laid on my heart: Jesus didn’t allow Simon to stay by the shore…or even to simply go out a little way. Jesus told him to go out where it was deeper.

This isn’t the only place where we see Jesus’ disciples in deep water. When Jesus calmed the storm in Matthew 8:23-27, He and His disciples were going “across the lake.” And when He walked on water in Matthew 14:22-36, the disciples were “far away from the land.”

What was the reasoning for sending His disciples into deep water? And how does this relate to us as we grow our relationship with the Lord and begin to share Him with others?

Here are a few things to consider:

First, Deep water requires deep faith.

When fishing in shallow water, you can generally see the bottom, but in deep water, you can’t see very far below the surface, unless you have a powerful light source.

If Jesus allowed the disciples to stay close to the shore, they wouldn’t need His light to see what was around them or catch the “fish” he sent them for. The uncertainty that they felt wouldn’t exist, and the reliance and faith they had to put in Him, wouldn’t happen because they would be able to “see” without believing. The number of fish that they caught in deep, dark water, could only happen because of a supernatural source drawing them in. And it is the same way today.

Second, Deep water means facing deep things.

Sometimes it takes drowning in our own sorrow and facing really hard things about ourselves to see and feel and realize the depths of the Lord’s love and provision for us.

When we go out into the deep, Jesus meets us where we are. And we have an obligation to meet others there too….even when you feel uncomfortable, ill-equipped, and maybe even a little hypocritical.

Jesus sent the disciples into the deep water so He could show up in an inconvenient, uncomfortable place. Out in the deep is where He met each of them individually. And that’s what love is: showing up in inconvenient, uncomfortable places, where Jesus works in miraculous ways when we are willing to let Him.

Third, Deep water causes deep fear.

In each of the three stories about Jesus’ disciples mentioned above, deep waters weren’t the only thing they had in common. In every one, Jesus had to tell his friends not to be afraid (Luke 5:10, Matt. 8:26, Matt.14:27).

If we choose to go into the deep places with people, the hard, dark, scary places where we can’t see what may happen next and don’t know what to expect, we need an anchor to hold us fast. That anchor is Jesus. And He is right here with all of us who believe.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for the deep waters of life. Thank you for the opportunity to trust you more, know you more, and see your miracle-working power up close. Help me to shine your light brightly, especially when I may not be able to see what’s up ahead. Help me seek you above all else and go forward boldly, without fear! And when my flesh and my heart fail, remind me that my strength is found in You alone (Psalm 73:26). 

In Your Mighty Name,

Amen