Online Devotions: April 15 (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)

Sunday, April 15, 2012

April 15 (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he 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 James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (NIV)

Here is a simple test. Imagine a one-dollar bill. Picture it in your mind. Can you see both sides of it? Now take out a one-dollar bill and put it on the table. Which is better, the image in your mind or the six-inch piece of paper in front of you? There is no question that the one on the table is better. You can actually buy something with it. No one is going to sell you a product based on the money you can picture in your mind.

The resurrection of Jesus is not just a wonderful story that lives on in our minds. The Superman story is a wonderful tale that lives on in our minds, but we all know that Superman is not real and so we do not base our lives around him or his story. Yet Jesus is truly alive. This is no fairy tale. Hundreds of people bore eyewitness testimony to the fact.

“Well, I have not seen Him,” someone may say. So what? We live our lives with perfectly reasonable confidence in knowledge of which we have no direct connection. Seriously, have you worked out the equations that make the nanotechnology of your smart phone possible? Jesus rose from the dead. It is a fact with solid testimony. How will that truth affect your life?

Father, thank You for the glorious resurrection of Jesus. Thank You for the testimony of the early disciples and those who saw Him. Thank You for the record of Scripture. Thank you for the ongoing witness of the Church. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who lives within me. Thank You for such a sure rock on which to build my life. Amen.

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History of Online Devotions

In January of 1999, I began the Online Devotions with the teens of the church we were attending. Each week they would receive a verse of Scripture, a short reflection, and a prayer. Over the years others subscribed to this email list, and soon the Online Devotions were going out to people across the country and beyond.

In 2007 I published in book format a collection called Desert Days: Forty Devotions for Men.

After suggestions from several readers, I launched in 2010 the Online Devotions blog. Devotions are still available each week by email, and if you would like to subscribe, please indicate so in the comment box.

As I have always said, if one of these devotions touches you, you can be sure it was from God. If one leaves you flat, then there was too much of me in it.