1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Christ died for our sins!

In order to hear from Holy Spirit we need to believe that He is and that He was sent to aid us to guide and direct our lives to Christ.

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

It is all about Jesus Christ and that He was crucified for the sins of the world to remove the veil that separated us from God/

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. The New King James Version

2 Peter 2:2121 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

False teachers will face Jesus and be judged on those they influenced and had led astray. Some are continually  learning but never coming to the knowledge of Christ and His gift to all of humanity. They only seek to profit from their teachings. 

The prodigal son knew the truth but left it. Thank God that we, like him, can recognize our sins, repent and be made whole in our faith. 

Many false teachers will come in the name of Jesus Christ and many will be deceived. Jesus fulfilled the law and died for the sins of the world. Whatever your past, now if you believe in the salvation of Jesus Christ alone, rejoice and be glad. We can choose to be willingly ignorant of the truth and never accept God’s plan in the salvation of mankind. 

He gives us free choice it is up to us to accept or reject it.

Grace + Faith + Nothing

Romans 15:8 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.” 10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” 11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” 12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ was the Messiah to the circumcision to confirm the promises made to the Old Testament prophets and the fathers. In Christ return He will fulfill those promises to Israel. Carla

Paul’s gospel to the Corinthians centered on the physical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God who became human yet never sinned. Paul had started the Corinthian church; the gospel that the Corinthians had originally received came from him. Paul did not originate the proclamation of Jesus that he delivered to the Corinthians; he simply gave the Corinthians what he himself had received. He viewed himself as a link in a long chain of witnesses to the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ. 

Christ died for our sins: Christ’s death dealt decisively with our sins. He suffered in our place to endure the just wrath of God against us. Christ lived and died in accordance with the prophecies about Him in the Old Testament. The Resurrection verifies the fact that Christ’s death paid the full price for sin. The Greek term translated rose here is in the perfect tense, emphasizing the ongoing effects of this historical event. 

Christ is a risen Savior today. 

At the time of Paul’s writing, a person could have verified the truthfulness of the apostle’s statements. The majority of the five hundred people who saw the risen Christ, as well as all the apostles and James (the half brother of Jesus), were still living. Born out of due time is probably Paul’s comment on the unique way he became an apostle. Unlike the other apostles, who had the benefit of an initial training period with Christ, Paul became an apostle abruptly, with no opportunity for earthly contact with Christ or His teaching. The NKJV Study Bible

Believers experience salvation in part now (in the sense of beginning their relationship with Christ without the burden of sin standing between them and God), but this salvation will be complete when Christ returns and they are unified with God for eternity. Paul emphasizes the continuity of his message with the early church’s teaching. Jesus’ was the fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy Burial signifies the confirmation and finality of death. He appeared to refers to a physical sighting of Christ with his eyes—not merely a vision. The 12 refers to 12 men whom Jesus chose to be His disciples and apostles. This appearance is unknown outside of this passage, though it recalls the gathering of believers in Acts 2. The number of witnesses adds credibility to the claim. Some have fallen asleep is a  common metaphor for death. In the same way that a person sleeps and awakes, the Christian who dies will arise to life. 

James, the brother of Jesus, became the leader of the church at Jerusalem. 

One born at a ton time refers to the abnormal manner in which Paul became an apostle. Faithlife Study Bible

Luke 24:36–44 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit…

Luke 24:33–34 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

Isaiah 53:1–12 

Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him…

Acts 9:1–8 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem…

Acts 1:7 reminds us it is not our role to know all the times or seasons God has fixed. Yet "at the right time," Christ died for us so we could have an eternal relationship with Him (Romans 5:6). No matter what God reveals, no matter how long we feel like we are waiting, we can remain faithful, knowing that God hears our prayers (1 Peter 3:12a) and holds our future in His capable hands. While many Old Testament prophecies referenced the coming of this Anointed One, Messiah or King, Daniel 9 is one of the first prophecies to mention the true power the Messiah would have to completely abolish sin.

Our prayers may sometimes include more of what we think we want rather than what we need. Thankfully, God knows our true needs. He knew we needed a path to righteousness through a Savior who could take away our sins (Hebrews 9:25-26). He was at work from the beginning to fulfill the earnest desire of our hearts and reconcile us to Himself (Luke 19:10). What a sweet reminder for our souls: Jesus was and is the answer to all our prayers! First5

I loved this recent reflection about American sprinter Noah Lyles from the recent Summer Olympics. “Noah earned the title of world’s fastest man by winning gold in the 100-meter dash. Shortly after, he wrote in a social media message to fans: ‘I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, A.D.D., anxiety, and depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why not you!’” (Thank you Brad Stulberg, The real power of the Olympics)

Yes. Let us not forget, our true self at our core, is more than the labels that attach themselves. Labels that limit and dismiss. 

In the words of Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes;
"We do not become healers.
We came as healers. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.
We do not become storytellers.
We came as carriers of the stories
we and our ancestors actually lived. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.
We do not become artists. We came as artists. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.
We do not become writers... dancers... musicians... helpers... peacemakers.
We came as such. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.
We do not learn to love in this sense.
We came as Love. We are Love.
Some of us are still catching up to who we truly are." Sabbath Moments 

On Friday, May 14, 1948, President Harry Truman signed a proclamation that read: “This government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine…The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority in the new state of Israel.”

In scripture, from Ezekiel, 650 years before Christ: “For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24 NLV).

In other words, May 14, 1948, saw a page turn in the calendar of prophetic history. Almost all the key events of end times hinge upon the existence of Israel as a nation. Max Lucado