The Thomas Moment - John 20:28

  
 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” - John 20:28

    I often think about people who have yet to come to Christ. Many of them explain their unbelief away, stating lack of evidence. I myself was guilty of the error. And those of us who are fervent believers could each share our moment of enlightenment. For some, it was a “lightning moment”, like that of Martin Luther. For others, it was the effect of attrition: God wearing us down until we had no other choice than to believe.
    For the apostle, Thomas, he needed evidence of the risen Lord. His hope of being with the Messiah ended abruptly and cruelly, dying on the cross with Jesus. - “The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’” John 20:25. “Unless I see, I will not believe.” His doubt has marked him for ages.
    We know that Christ returned later and approached Thomas, He chose to speak specifically speak to him - “Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’” - John 20:27. Christ chose Thomas specifically, just as God has chosen each of His elect, specifically! The proof, the evidence of Christ’s resurrection was undeniable and led to Thomas’s belief. His doubt was shorn from him in that moment. This was the Thomas Moment. Then - “Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” - John 20:29.
    What a wonderful and exhilarating moment it must have been for the apostles to be present with the risen Lord; to experience seeing Him and hearing Him. But what of the doubters and unbelievers here, today in the 21st Century? How can we see and hear Him today? “And He said to them, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’” - Mark 4:9.
    So, we cannot “see” Christ as His disciples did. That doesn’t mean we are without recourse. Christ has declared that we must hear Him. We must hear His word. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” - Romans 10:17. Yes! If we hear; if we listen to the word of God we may come to faith in our own “Thomas Moment.” The Holy Spirit will not be quenched in the hearts of God’s elect. It is not necessary that we “see” Jesus to believe in Him and His word. We need not ever doubt - “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7.
    It is believed that Thomas preached the Word of God as far as India, where he was martyred around 72 AD. And although no credible evidence exists, there have been suppositions that Thomas traveled as far as Paraguay via Indonesia.
    Thomas had the unique blessing of having been taught firsthand by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, Thomas walked with the Word of God, just as we too can walk with the Word - “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” - Matthew 11:15.

A Time To Kill - Ecclesiastes 3:1,3

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: . . . A time to kill, And time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up . . . . - Ecclesiastes 3:1,3


        When Satan is using a human agent to produce and inflict evil upon humanity, do we, as Christians, have a duty to stop that human agent if we can? And by what means? Certainly, we know  - “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” - James 5:16b. But do we not also bear a responsibility to use physical force to stop the evil? “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” - Proverbs 25:26.
    There are numerous examples of when we must respond to the call for action - active shooter situations, war, a violent felony (armed robbery, murder, rape) in progress, genocide, etc. These are instances when Scripture tells us without ambiguity that sitting by idly will draw judgment upon us. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” - 1 Timothy 5:8.
    It is true that we should never, under any circumstances, seek vengeance for a wrongdoing, but to prevent or stop a violent evil from taking place Scripture is clear - “Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked.” - Psalm 82:4.
    During WWII, the Lutheran pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer became part of a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. The decision was certainly one he made after wrestling with his Christian faith over the idea of killing another human being. Yet Bonhoeffer, who was executed for his role in the failed plot, spoke the truth with these words - “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” We are instructed by Scripture to fight with physical force when we encounter deliberate Satanic evil hiding behind a human face. “And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” - Nehemiah 4:14.
    There are many professing Christians who steadfastly refuse to entertain the idea of using violent physical defense in any case! I, for one, do not know what Bible they’ve been reading or if they have merely been very selective as to what they read in Scripture. And we all know what we have been taught about the whole counsel of God - “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” - Deuteronomy 4:2. And perish the idea that we should ignore the words of our Lord and Savior when He spoke to His disciples in the upper room the night before His crucifixion - “Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.” - Luke 22:36. Christ wasn’t suggesting that His disciples took the world by the sword; He was telling them that there would be times that required a swift and violent physical defense. Let us remember His words of warning and be ever watchful in this fallen world. Let us pray for the wisdom to know when we must raise our hands against the evil wrought by Satan through his human agents. And let us daily pray that God uses us as His human agents for His glory.

Beyond Death’s Darkened Corner - John 8:24

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.- John 8:24

    Imagine for a moment that you are alone and walking in a very dark place (actually, we all are - it’s called “the world”, and we ARE all alone). Now as you are walking in this very dark place, you come to a point where the road turns, but your view of what is waiting beyond that corner is obscured. It’s dark and up until now what little light you have has at least allowed you to travel this far . . . alone. You have heard about this dark corner, this gloomy threshold. Others have had varying opinions about what lies beyond the darkness, though none have ever gone there and returned. Your heartbeat is elevated; your pulse is beating rapidly. Your breathing is growing more intense. Let me stop here for the moment: are you comfortable? Are you happily and enthusiastically looking forward to turning that dark corner into - for all you know, oblivion?
    Now allow me to give you something for your journey, something that any reasonable human being would like to have for such a darkened sojourn; a light. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” - John 8:12.
    In the above scenario, I have metaphorically described our walk through this world and our innate fear of death. None of us know what lies beyond the darkened veil because none of us have ever gone there and returned, regardless of what the liars and hucksters have tried to convince us of. So why wouldn’t we want to know beyond a shadow of doubt what awaits us? And with a light, we can have confidence that we can know what lies around that corner.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” - John 14:2. True believing Christians know these words to be true. God has never lied to us nor will He ever lie to us!
    The darkness that enshrouds our thoughts about the afterlife stems from fear, fear from what we know and fear from that which we do not know. Only fear awaits all those who die in the darkness of the world. And there is ample reason for that fear -
 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” - Matthew 10:28. We all know where such fear comes from. It comes from our wondering whether or not we have done all we needed to do to obtain our salvation in heaven or whether our shoddy human “works” have merited us only an eternity in hell. I can guarantee you that if good works were the ticket, anyone could purchase salvation. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” - Isaiah 64:6.  We will never produce works which make us worthy of heaven! “ . . .  knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” - Galatians 2:16
    Praying to icons and “saints” will do nothing to forestall what can only be conquered by Christ Himself! Novenas, rosaries, the stations of the cross are all futile in reaching out to God! There is but one Way. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” - John 14:6. One Way and only one Mediator between man and God - “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” - 1 Timothy 2:5. The wise will in no way ignore these words!
    Knowing what Scripture has revealed to us, we then must know that there is but one way to cast off the fear of death -  “ . . . that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” - Romans 10:9-13.
    We spend our time trying to beat death because we fear death! The “Good News”, the Gospel, tells us there is no good reason for the Christian to fear death because there is a Light that lies beyond its darkened corner. Freedom awaits, without reservation - “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” - John 8:31-32. Abide in Christ’s word, in His truth, and you will be free! Free of the fear of death!
    As death approaches us, we should spend our energies preparing to meet Christ, rather than futilely seeking a way to avoid the inevitable. The fact that we all must die shows us the value of our time here. We should spend our time wisely, seeking Christ and His grace, rather than vainly trying to beat death. We must seek Christ and the freedom from death that He alone provides. Let us join Paul in declaring both boldly and bravely  - “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” - 1 Corinthians 15:55.

The Place - Luke 22:40

When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” - Luke 22:40

    As Christ led His disciples into the Garden of Gethsamane, He came “to the place” where He would pray to His heavenly Father on the night before His crucifixion. Our Lord’s heart and mind weighed heavily upon Him as His hour drew near. His only words to His disciples were to pray that they would not enter into temptation. That warning to them remains a warning to us! When inattentiveness leads to distraction, distraction leads back to inattentiveness. “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.” - Proverbs 4:25-27.
    You simply cannot display such proverbial wisdom if you’re asleep or distracted. Sleep and distraction are two of the most dangerous stumbling blocks a Christian can ever face because both take our eyes off the prize. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”- Hebrews 12:1-2.
    Sleeping was the disciples’ preoccupation in “the place” on the night of our Lord’s agony. Did they dream? Were they dreaming of the greatness they seemed to yearn for earlier in the evening? (Luke 22:24) Are dreams of worldly favors and affluence keeping us asleep when we should be praying? What are we seeking in our dreams? “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2.
    Distractions are common to us all, as they were to the disciples. What distracts us from the priority of prayer in our lives? Is it work? School? Family issues? The weight of living in a fallen world? These are the very times we need prayer the most! Or is it something so superficial that we should be ashamed it actually distracts us from our prayer life? I won’t stoop to pick at that sore. We’re all guilty of placing great attention and importance on the trivial matters of our puny lives in contrast to the sanctification we should be attending to. Idolatry is idolatry even when we downplay our obvious engagement in it. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”- 1 John 5:21.
    As Reformed Christians we are in “the place” where Jesus is beckoning us to - “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Mark 14:38. Let us be ever vigilant in prayer and strengthened by the Spirit of God.

It Was Meant To Be - Isaiah 46:10

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ - Isaiah 46:10

    “Well, it was just meant to be?” How many times have we heard that comment made? When a Reformed Christian makes that comment I know what he or she is referring to, but when a devout unbeliever makes the same comment I find myself wanting to ask them, “Who meant for it to be?”
    As a North-East coast Floridian, I wasn’t spared the ire of Hurricane Irma. While my home was miraculously spared any physical damage, we were out of power for 6 unbearable days and we lost all of the contents of our refrigerator/freezer. The heat and Florida humidity were stifling so we took to a hotel until our power was restored. But ours was a minor inconvenience compared to many who lost so much in the storm. By any account, we were blessed to have lost no more than we did. We were not meant to lose more than we did. God in His beneficence granted us a welcome blessing. Many, many others were not as blessed. And so we come to the question - why were some people forced to endure so much more heartache and difficulty than others? “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?’” - Luke 13:2.
    Thankfully, the answer to Christ’s question was a resounding, “No!” Far too often, people of faith make the mistake of thinking that the degree to which some suffer is inextricably connected to the degree of sin in their lives. We are told more than once in Scripture that this notion is patently false. “And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’” - John 9:2-3.
    Of course, there are times when our suffering is directly connected to sin. Think of an inebriated driver in a single car crash resulting in his permanent paralysis. Or there are times when our suffering is tied to the sins of others. Think the previous scenario where an innocent victim is harmed. To the extent that the world is a fallen place, yes, sin is the cause of so much suffering. “Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:’Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.’” - Genesis 3:17-18.
    But for all the suffering in the world; whether it be the result of hurricane in Texas, Florida, or the Caribbean, or a series of earthquakes in Mexico, there is still so much to be grateful for as we, despite our sinfulness, are continually showered by the graces of a God - “who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” - Act 14: 16-17.
    And with each natural calamity the age-old question makes its appearance again - why does God let such terrible events affect so many people? While there will never be a pat answer which relieves the bewilderment of all people satisfactorily, we must in faith believe the words of Paul - “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28.  May we hold diligently to our faith even through the harshest times.

Is This Love? - John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. - John 13:34

    Love - probably one of the most misunderstood and thus misused word in any language, except for perhaps Greek. The Greek terms for love actually is a four-fold treatment of how we are to relate to one another. But the Greek word for love that concerns us here is the word “agapaō.” to love in a social or moral sense. This is the sense in which Christ was telling His disciples to love their fellow men. “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 7:12.
    This simple concept remains perhaps the most difficult for mankind to grasp, despite it being the very essence of God’s Law - “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - Galatians 5:14.
    To quote and exposit upon the many commands of God to love our fellow human beings would take volumes. It is the rhyme and reason for Christ’s incarnation. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16. Suffice to say, love is the lynchpin of the Gospel. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” - John 15:13. It is as fundamental to our Christian claim of faith as is our obedience to God - “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” - 1 John 4:21.
    And this Greek word for love, “agapaō,” is the root of the tree that bears good fruit! It is this kind of love that must fill our hearts for one another, as well as those who would do us harm - “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you . . .” - Matthew 5:44.
    Selfish love will not do. Jealous love will not do. Spiteful love, angry love, unholy love, words of love will not do! We must ask ourselves, “Is this love?” And if it fails to meet the measurement of agapaō love as commanded by God, then whatever it may be, it is not Godly love.
    Of course, we must never confuse advocating sin as a measure of our “love” for someone. To suggest that the real measure of Christian love is to show toleration for another’s sinful lifestyle is disingenuous and sinful in itself! We must be quick to admonish those out this Christian love - “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” - Proverbs 27:6. When we quietly assent to the sins of those we are supposed to love we do them more harm than good. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who is love, admonished us all when He said to us - “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” - Mark 1:15.  So in the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we always love as God has loved us, for the love of God.

Stepping Out Of The Boat - Matthew 14:30

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:30

    Sitting here thinking about our current hurricane season gave me pause. I know what I do when the winds of this world buffet me and erode my spiritual strength - I do as Peter did and cry out to my God. And although my supplications may not quiet the wind, they help to quiet my heart. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” - John 14:27.
    Peter was perhaps the most boisterous of the Apostles. A fisherman by trade, he suffered from the same excesses that hexed all such men. Peter was a product of his times, as we too are products of our time, and thus shaped and troubled by 21st Century issues. Since Peter, a coarse Jewish fisherman, was an impulsive man, he often “led with his chin.” He thus found himself on the windy end of things more often than he wished. His impetuousness often led him into the force of the gales despite stern warnings. “Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’” - Matthew 26:33-35 Then, before the break of dawn - “And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.’  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed.” - Matthew 26:73-74.
    Aren’t we often a lot like Peter? I know without doubt that I am just a bit too prone to self-confidence in the face of the storm until the gales begin to blow, of course. Then I am floundering about, just as Peter did after stepping out of the boat. And Who was it that came to his rescue? The very same Jesus Who has promised - “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. - Matthew 28:19-20.
    We won’t always face catastrophic tempests in our lives but when we do we can have full faith that Christ is with us, even through the worst of storms.