Tuesday, August 24, 2010 A.D.
Today’s Scriptures; 1 Chronicles 26-27, 1 Corinthians:1-34.
Good Morning Church!!!
When I was a kid, I would go to my grandparents house on the weekends a lot.  It was one of my favorite things to do.  They had a farm of 40 acres or so, with pasture in the middle and surrounded by a wooded area on both sides.   I had a pellet rifle and considered my self to be “the great white hunter”.  (sad,,,,I know), but hey, I was a pretty good shot, and there was always a blue-jay out there robbing eggs from innocent birds, and so I felt the call to make things right!
My older brother Joe, was also a pretty good shot with his pellet rifle back in the day, you know, he was the old timer of 14 or so, when I began to follow in his steps.  He had told me as well as everyone else, that there was the worlds biggest red headed woodpecker out there, that it had a wingspan of more than two feet across!  Ha!  (We thought maybe he had been out in the sun too long).  We never did see this bird, so that was always kind of a joke, “Oh, are you seeing giant woodpeckers again bro. Joe?”  lol.    He never did come up with any proof, but always claimed it was out there.
Well, to make a long story short, I was out after my blue jay’s one day, when I heard what sounded like an “oozy”, machine gun going off.  I looked where the sound had come from, and there he was, just like Joe had described him!  And me without my camera!!!  I hesitated to tell anyone, but finally did, they just thought I was trying to help out brother, and didn’t pay any attention.  Oh, how I wished I had proof, oh if only a picture, or if only there would have been someone else with me, , , some witnesses, there would be no doubt then, that what I had seen was true!!!
Okay, here is where I make the connection from this silly story of mine, to the serious story of the Gospel which we read today in 1 Corinthians 15.
There are those today who will say that, “Christians have been in the sun too long”, because of our claim of Jesus being raised from the dead.  Many will say; “where is your proof?”  Where are your pictures?  How do you know that this is not just a story that someone made up?
Paul had this trouble with people in his day as well.  But in this passage we read today, he gives them, as well as us, not only his own eyewitness account of seeing the risen savior, but others account also, and tells us; V6; “After that, he was seen of above 500 brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
Paul was giving those who would doubt what he said about seeing the risen savior, over 500 names of witnesses who saw exactly what he had seen!  And he said most were still alive at that time, in other words; (I will give you names and addresses if you want to go interview them!)
Wow, if in a courtroom today, you are trying to prove or disprove something that happened or not, if you walk in with over 500 witnesses to back up your story, I think you have all you need!
We also have not only those witnesses of God’s Word to back us up, but the greater witness of the Holy Spirit which lives in us!   One of the best witnesses to the world around you of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the death of your old life and the resurrection of the new life that you now live!
Galatians 2:20; “I am crucified with Christ:  nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Have a “I have witnesses” Tuesday!!!
Bro Mike
Yesterday’s trivia answer:  confusion,,,,,peace.
Today’s trivia question: according to Paul; “if the dead rise not?  Let us _____ and _______, for tomorrow we die.”