“Our Daily Bread”   http://odb.org/2012/06/24/any-distance-any-time/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

John 14:19… “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.”  (NKJV)

This opening scripture recorded by the apostle John, was spoken by Jesus to His disciples the night before His crucifixion on the cross… Jesus was explaining that He would see His disciples again, after He rose from the grave…  My study notes written by John MacArthur explain that there is no recorded evidence that any unbelievers had seen Jesus after His resurrection…

The Bible clearly lists the fact (in the 4 gospels of Jesus Christ), that Jesus was seen by over 500 people in the 40 days that He walked the earth after His resurrection,… The apostle Paul, in his writing some thirty years after Jesus’ resurrection, also gives an account of over 500 people having seen the risen Lord, in his writing in…1 Corinthians 15:1-9… Here is the important verse out of this scripture…1 Corinthians 15:6… After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.  (NKJV)

There are skeptics out there who don’t believe Jesus Christ rose from the grave… Some don’t even believe that Jesus existed at all; and this is so sad…  But it would have been impossible for the apostle Paul to teach and preach this truth about Jesus and His resurrection…and to record this scripture in 1 Corinthians, if it was a lie…  There would have been people who were against Christianity, who would have surfaced to deny Jesus’ resurrection from the grave… These people would have risen up in protest, and Paul’s writing would have never been included in the Bible… The Bible is not only a Book that was inspired by God, with every word nothing but the truth…it is also an extremely accurate Book of historical places and events…

I have read through several articles written to confirm through historical evidence, the absolute truth that Jesus Christ walked the earth…died on the cross…and rose from the grave…  There have been archeological discoveries, which by the end of the 19^th century prove the accuracy of the New Testament hand written manuscripts; of which there are over 24,000 known to exist today…

I found the following article, written by Josh McDowell, titled… “Evidence for the Resurrection”, to be both interesting, as well as conclusive proof (at least for me), that Jesus Christ was who He said He was in the Bible…the Son of God…  And that Jesus Christ rose from the dead to give life to those who put their faith and trust in Him…        http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/josh2.html#

I find this opening scripture interesting, because if what John MacArthur says in his study notes is true about the resurrected Christ not being seen by unbelievers (which is what the opening scripture implies)…things still haven’t changed to this day…  There is much scripture throughout the New Testament, where Jesus and other writers refer to unbelievers as living in the world…John 15:19… “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”  (NKJV)  …Christian’s are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20)…

Satan continues to blind sinners who have not yet understood and obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; which is the only way to become a Christian in God’s eyes…2 Corinthians 4:4…  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  (KJV)

Only God can open the eyes and un-blind a person who is not a child of God… But God uses His children to share their testimony, and to share the “good news” of the gospel of Christ… It is hearing the gospel of Christ, that plants seeds that Jesus teaches us about in His “Parable of the Soils”…  This parable is found in 3 of the 4 gospels (Matthew 13:1-23…Luke 8:4-15…&…Mark 4:1-20)…

Heavenly Father, I pray that this would be the day that You un-blind someone who does not yet know You as their personal Lord, their Master, and their Savior… Help all of Your children Lord, to share their good news of salvation with those around them in need… Help all of Your children to be bold stewards of the responsibility You have given to all us, to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19-20)… I pray that You would change hearts, minds, and souls for an eternity…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills