Day 14 - Sept 27
Daily Reading: 1 Corinthians 15
Theme: Spiritual Gifts Activated
Special Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:7 — “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”
Personal: Ask God to activate and sharpen the gifts He has placed in you.
External: Pray for marketplace leaders to operate with God-given wisdom and influence.
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The Crux Of The Matter
What are the most important issues we deal with as a world? Global warming, war, terrorism, poverty, hunger, and disease would have to rank towards the top. What matters are you facing today? Relationship breakdown, financial pressure, raising kids, or taking care of elderly parents?
Consider with me that there is one ultimate issue that brings peace and final victory to anything and everything the world has ever faced. This is the message of our reading today, and it is the crux of life itself. Jesus is resurrected from the dead, and because He is, all those who know Him will also live eternally with Him. There is no event that even comes close to the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection changes everything.
The resurrection is the only issue that matters. If Jesus is raised from the dead, as the “firstfruits” for the rest of humanity, then whatever we endure in this life is secondary to this blessed hope.
When critics question the miracles of the Bible, want to debate the minor inconsistencies in the Word, or mock one’s personal experience in Christ, it is best to point to the most crucial issue in all of Scripture, the resurrection of Jesus. And the historical, logical, and evidentiary information regarding the fact the Jesus rose from the dead is overwhelming.
If Jesus rose from the dead, is…
…the incarnation difficult to believe?
…the parting of the Red Sea impossible?
…Jesus walking on water too incredible?
Friend, the most important issue is simply, “Did Jesus rise from the dead?”
Our sure testimony shouts, “HE IS RISEN INDEED!”
