HOPE in CHRIST's RESURRECTION

Dearest Saints, A local Pastoral friend of mine encouraged me to write about Resurrection as I was surprised by his response that he mentions many Christians don't believe in the resurrection. To my amazement, I find that odd because the Resurrection of Christ is what gives us Hope that is everlasting. This is the basis of our Hope and faith we have in the first place. When we think this life is so short compared to eternity, how can our hope be expected to be the same level in this temporal life compared to when the other hopes for living in a realm of glory that will be for eternity (never having any end)? The question we need to ask is when there are those who don't believe in the Resurrection, how can they expect to be resurrected themselves when they don't first believe? The Apostle Paul goes on to saying that if we only hope for Christ in this life only, how we are to be pitied more than anyone (1 Cor 15:19). The Oxford Dictionary tells the definition of pitied as "Feel sorrow for the misfortunes of". It is definitely a grave misfortune for anyone who doesn't believe that Christ who is The Resurrection made a Way for us who believe. God Himself clearly says and they remain in their sins (1 Cor 15:17) and the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). Paul tells us in Verse 14 of 1 Cor 15 that: And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain [it amounts to nothing] and your faith is devoid of truth and is fruitless (without effect, empty, imaginary, and unfounded). Amplified Version Again, this is what the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Cor 15:32-36 (Amplified Version): What do I gain if, merely from the human point of view, I fought with [wild] beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will be dead.33 Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.34 Awake [ from your drunken stupor and return] to sober sense and your right minds, and sin no more. For some of you have not the knowledge of God [you are utterly and willfully and disgracefully ignorant, and continue to be so, lacking the sense of God's presence and all true knowledge of Him]. I say this to your shame.35 But someone will say, How can the dead be raised? With what [kind of] body will they come forth?36 You foolish man! Every time you plant seed, you sow something that does not come to life [germinating, springing up, and growing] unless it dies first. The difference between the God we serve compared to other 'gods' of this world is that our God is the only one who shed His Blood for the remission of our sins, died the physical death on the Cross to complete the sacrifice we could never pay, which He did on our behalf and was Resurrected. No other idol they claim as "god" can be truthful and say that! I also heard from a Preacher on the local Christian Radio station whom mentioned that people continue to make excuses that Jesus didn't really die, but slept and woke back up and revealed Himself to the 12 Apostles and 500 followers. There are some other human excuses that argue to this day that they don't believe Christ was resurrected from the dead all because their intellect minds don't reach as high as the child of faith in God does. God is higher than our thoughts and higher than our ways (Isa 55:9). When people make up these fallacies, they lower God to their limited thinking and understanding. When we limit God in any way, we don't have any clue how Great our God is! When Jesus went to the tomb, He was wrapped up and was perfumed so that the corpse would not decay as this was their custom to prepare a body for burial (John 19:40,41) which meant He literally died the physical death in order for Resurrection to be that awesome event. When we don't believe Christ literally died the physical death, we don't ever appreciate the power of the Holy Spirit that was in fact raised Christ from the dead. Believers in Christ are justified because we believe (Acts 13:39). We don't have to be like doubting Thomas to believe by seeing. Christ told him to start believing because those who believe simply what the Word tells us and not having to see, we are the blessed ones (John 20:29). I always like the quote: "The world believes because they see, but true Believers in God see and understand because we first believe. In summary, what good is our faith if we don't believe and hope in the Resurrection? That's why our Hope is far greater than the worlds hope because we believe in the Resurrection of Christ who made the Way for us to give us eternal life beyond this very temporal life. Jesus tells us just after that famous verse of John 3:16 in a couple verses later, those people are condemned because they don't believe (vs 18). When our hope and passion for a Heavenly Home that lasts forever far exceeds putting our hope in this earthly temporal home, God Himself is not ashamed to call us His very own Children (Heb 11:16). When we believe in that mighty resurrection of Christ who makes a way for us, we have that inexpressible HOPE that the world can never have or understand simply because we have that wonderful child-like faith that He is pleased with and believe in His Resurrection. Let's be children with greater far reaching faith that goes beyond our own understanding and believe God is always far greater than our thoughts. Paul himself wanted to know not only about Christ but also to know the power of His Resurrection (Phil 3:10). This is why we have that Hope, Joy, Peace and Gladness because we carry this Hope that is in Christ's Resurrection. If we don't believe the Word of God is His infallible and inerrant Truth, then what are we basing our belief on? Please email to the undersigned should you wish to unsubscribe from receiving my Blogs. In the Matchless Name of Jesus Richard Ministry Encourager Answers2Prayer http://sites.google.com/site/greatestbuilderforourlife http://www.answers2prayer.org/