For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received:

.... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,  and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once (1 Corinthians 15:1-6).   There have been many attempts to explain these things away, but none of them hold water. These include that He did not really die, and that the disciples stole the body.  But that blood and water flowed from His side when pierced,  is strong medical evidence of death (John 19:34). Concerning the disciples stealing the body, with the possible exception of John they all died for their faith, and you don't die for a lie! You also have to ask what changed the disciples from cowards who ran away,  into those who turned the world upside down by their testimony (Acts 17:6).

There are a multitude of Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled, including those above.  For me this,  together with the testimony of others and my own internal testimony, convince me that I have not believed cunningly devised fables (2 Peter 1:16).  After prayer I have received much healing in my body, some of it instantaneous. I have been used to to bring healing to others, again much of it instantaneous. We are talking about sever back problems and arthritis flare ups etc.,  things that puzzle doctors.  Then there's the peace, joy, freedom, and mental and emotional stability I am experiencing in spite of having suffered three severe emotional breakdowns.   Of course my experience of all of this,  though very real,  is somewhat subjective. The Scriptures, on the other hand,  provide an objective side to my own infallible proofs of the substance of the things that I have believed (Hebrews 11:1). And  the two things together form a solid basis for my faith. 

Coming to this morning's Scriptural proofs,  to see that Jesus died for out sins according to the Scripture we read “He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken,” and “the Lord has laid in Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:8, 6). That He was burred “they made His grave .... with the rich” (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60).  That He would rise again comes with the sequence “They made His grave .....” and “He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days” (Isaiah 53:9, 10). That He was seen by  Cephas (Peter), the twelve and over five hundred brethren see John 21:1-9, and  1 Corinthians 15:6.

Father I want to thank You this morning for the evidence of things not seen, enabling me to be sure of things hoped for.  This hope Lord is indeed an anchor to my soul  (Hebrews 11:1; 6:19).   The feeling of my faith, like the feeling of love, are not always there, they come and go. At such times I have the security of Your objective Word to fall back on.  But I thank You too Lord, that the objective part of my faith based on the living Word is not a dry, lifeless intellectual knowing (Hebrews 4:14). And I thank You for the times that You speak Your living rhama Word to me personally (John 10:27), and also through the Scriptures. For these and many other things,  I give You praise and thanks  and glory in Jesus Name Amen.