March 29

John 20:27-29 (NIV)
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Doubt and belief. There was, in the written Word of God, the prophecy of what would happen to Jesus and that He would raise from the dead, but even those who followed Him closely didn’t get it. These guys DID believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but they didn’t interpret the Scripture correctly which especially in Thomas’ case, caused a GREAT doubt. Even after others told Thomas that they had seen Jesus and touched Jesus, Thomas remained resolute in his doubt. In fact he declared that he would NOT BELIEVE until he saw Jesus himself and touched him with his own hands.

Is this what we have become in the western church? Unless we experience it, see it, feel it for ourselves, we won’t believe? Just like in the days of Jesus, the Jews missed the fact of Jesus being the Messiah because they didn’t think He would come that way, some people are missing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit because they don’t think He would come that way. I am not saying that our church is experiencing an “outpouring”, but it sure is experiencing something of an increased presence of the Spirit! When any other ministry or persons have great signs and wonders in their life or ministry, do we have to see it to believe it? Do we automatically assume that it isn’t true or real even when we have people we know who have experienced it?

As I write I feel the presence of the Spirit on me. My body is quivering under His power. Is it true? I can tell you that it is true and more than that I encourage all of us to not be like Thomas. He is not our example. We are people who walk in the Spirit and live, move and have our being in Him. We are not doubters, we are believers! We will not succumb to cleaver schemes of the evil one or man to be draw away from God because we have the discernment of the Spirit. We will believe and press into what God is doing in our age. I encourage everyone to drink deeply and hold on to God!