Honoring God
Dedicating the Temple of God
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)
Solomon's Dedication Prayer
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 New International Version
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[ a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[ b]and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
For Reflection
The Church in Corinth suffered doctrinal challenges from within and without. Corinth was a cosmopolitan area populated with people of all sorts of religions. Athenians scoffed at the resurrection and others manipulated its meaning. Mostly, Paul is concerned with the growing denial of the resurrection. Paul encourages the congregations in Corinth to stick to their original belief as Paul had taught them.
The Christian church is still defending its core doctrines from those who would deny them or pervert them. The question for the believer is, "How does one parse the legitimate criticisms of the church from those accusations that would pervert the Word of God?" For some, Martin Luther was a reformer; to others, he was a destroyer.
Prayer
Pray and contemplate the authenticity of the word of God. Pray and think about the practices of some Christian Churchs which disturb you. Pray and consider all the good that has been a result of participation in a Christian church community. Pray and invite God to help you see God's driving force that will result in the reconciliation of all people. Pray for the Church Universal.
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