MORE CONVINCED

Today is the day before Easter, 2011. Lots of hoopla about tomorrow--Easter. Hoopla among those who believe and those who don't believe. Is it about bunnies and eggs? Is it about Jesus coming alive again from the dead? What do you think?

There was a very accomplished Jewish rabbinical student years ago who believed totally that the resurrection of Jesus was all false. He went looking for those believing in "the way" to bring them to be persecuted. He agreed when they were stoned and left for dead. But one day, (Acts 9), that same man was radically changed--totally--about-face--into one of, if not the, strongest evangelist, teacher, and church planter of the Christian faith. He wrote about 1/2 of the books that now are in the Christian New Testament. (This was Saul, later named Paul.)

In one of his letters to the Christian church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 20), he writes, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ... But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, ..." (NIV)

Was he convinced of the truthfulness of Christ's resurrection? Well, did you just read these verses? This is a man who was stoned for his belief and preaching, under threat of death several times, and tradition says was finally martyred for his faith. Did he believe it?

For 44 years, I have been a Christian. For about 35 years, I have been a minister of that same Lord, Jesus. After all those years, with all the education I have (B.S. in Ed.; M. Div.; D. Min.; with all of the reading I have done, certainly in Christian but in other religious literature, in secular thought; being with people from many, many countries of the world, having been exposed to believers from many world religions, I am MORE CONVINCED than ever, of the truthfulness of Jesus and His coming alive from the dead. More convinced than ever! (I do not mention these "credentials' as a way of drawing attention to myself nor thinking I am smarter than anyone else--just sharing who I am and what God has worked through in my life.)

Paul said, if it is not true then his preaching (all Christian preaching actually) and Christian faith is useless (if indeed based on a false and faulty premise). If it is not true, then my (Sam's) life and ministry have been based on falsity as well.

But the more I study, the more I pray, the more I live life even in this world that for the most part does not believe the resurrection, the more convinced I become of its truthfulness and the crucial nature of believing it and Him.

I also believe more strongly the closer I get to the grave--my grave--my death--my "time of departure" (as Paul put it).

Would you die for something "not true"? Would you give your life for something false (unfortunately, many people in our world do)? I would not, at least I hope I would not.

Would you live for what is true? Easter 2011--a time to investigate again, for yourself, the truthfulness and the importance of the resurrection of Jesus. Look at Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, and 1 Corinthians 15 and read for yourself. How do you read it--and how do you interpret it?

Are you convinced? Check it out for yourself, ask God to show you the "reality" and also the meaning of that event. Then celebrate this life and the life to come with me. I AM CONVINCED! Are you?