the proof is in the pudding...

lately, as i've begun to realize that my ministry in life is to reach out to the non-believers and to a generation of youth who is surrounded by sex, drugs and evil. i love that God is using/is going to be using me to do His work. this excites me.

one thing that i have been playing over and over in my mind is "how do i explain that Jesus did die for us and that we will be risen to our Heavenly Creator as well?" God has been telling me to read 1 Corinthians 15. so this morning i cracked my duct tape Bible and began reading. my question was answered so quickly!

1 Corinthians 15:12-17 reads like this...
"Now since we preached that Christ was raised from the dead, why do some of you say that people will not be raised from the dead? If no one is ever raised from the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is worth nothing. And also, we are guilty of lying about God, because we testified of him that he raised Christ from the dead. but if people are not raised from the dead, then God never raised Christ. If the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raise, then your fatih has nothing to it; you are still guilty of your sins."

now, i'm trying not to buy into a logical explanation of God and Christ. however, this makes absolute sense! think about! Our faith and salvation revolves around Christ dying on the cross, bearing all of our sin, and rising to Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father! If Christ didn't exist or if He wasn't raised our whole foundation would be null and void!

earlier in 1 Corinthians 15, paul writes that Jesus was seen by peter and the 12 apostles, then by 500+ believers and then by james and then by himself. remember thomas? Jesus told him to put his finger in the nail holes and the spear hole in his side! hundreds and hundreds saw Christ after His resurrection! and we know that Christ did die, for the Bible tells us so. we know that He was buried in a rich man's tomb! all of this is in the scriptures!

therefore, we can safely say that, as believers, we will be raised after our death to be with our Heavenly Father as well!!!!