Do you stand out? Part 2

 

If the world can't tell whether or not you are a Christian, then how do you stand out?  When you claim to be a Christian, trust me, people are always watching and waiting for you to act in an ungodly manner so they can call you a hypocrite. Instead of being a bad example, your lifestyle should point to God so strongly others want to get to know Jesus. 

 

Aside from appearances (as addressed in part 1), there are many issues we need to consider when it comes to being separate from the world.  Please prayerfully consider the areas addressed in the below verses and ask God where He would like you to change so that you can stand out for Jesus.  What is your vice: alcohol, drugs, bad attitude, gossip, filthy talk, sexual perversions, television/movies, occultic/New Age practices?    

 

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21   

 

Do your friends, co-workers, and family members even know where you stand on such issues?  Are you ashamed and/or afraid to speak out?  I know it's not easy.  If you are too timid to say anything, you can still walk away when someone is telling a dirty joke, gossiping, asking you to drink with them, etc.  Pretty soon your friends/co-workers will respect you and will quit talking about such things in front of you. If they do not, just keep walking away, because they will get your message whether they acknowledge it or not.  I know because I have been the “odd” Christian at all my jobs where co-workers were more careful with their language around me, told their dirty jokes out of my earshot, and quit asking me to go to bars.  Not all the time, of course. There was one man who used to shout “Hallelujah!” just to irritate me. After about the tenth time he realized he would not get a reaction from me, he quit doing so.  He later told me he admired my stand and saw a Light in me that he envied and then I was able to witness to him in words rather than just in action.  And that’s just one example of many I have experienced.   

 

But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 10:33   

Also remember:

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4

 

The best reason of all to want to stand out from among the crowd is to want to please Jesus Christ. He gave His very life for you and is preparing an eternal paradise for those who faithfully follow His ways. He forgives every sin you repent of and wants only the best for His children.

The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Romans 2:4

 

 Also:

 

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” I Peter 1:13-16

  

And finally:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.   And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:1-2

Jesus Christ Our Sacrificial Lamb, Written by my Husband

 

Jesus Christ Our Sacrificial Lamb, Written by my Husband, Mel

There is no greater love than a man that is willing to lay down his life for a friend. Our Lord Jesus Christ left his throne in Heaven, clothed himself in the frailty of human flesh, and died a horrible death in order to provide redemption for us. For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, so that whosoever believes in him, should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

It was no small sacrifice that our Lord made upon the cross of Calvary, for he gave his very life, so that we may live with him in the eternal Kingdom of God. Redemption means to redeem or purchase something. Christ was literally buying us back from Satan through his sacrifice upon the cross.

Because of the disobedience of Adam, the earth fell from perfection into corruption, and Satan became the prince and power of this fallen world. However, Christ became the second Adam, in that through his obedience to the Father, he provided eternal life to all who will make him Lord of their life.

Jesus Christ is our sacrificial lamb. On the day of preparation, when the Jews killed, as well as prepared the lamb for the Passover meal, our Lord was crucified. Through the shed blood of our Lord, provision was made for sins to be passed over.

The Passover lamb had to be spotless and without defect, or God would reject it. The blood sacrifice of the lamb was symbolic of the sacrifice of God’s sinless Son upon the cross. Christ was tempted in every way that we are, yet he remained the only sinless man ever to walk the earth. Christ was the only man who could take our place upon the cross.

To repent, means to turn away from sin and to become a new creation in Christ, a person that is set apart from the sinful world. Many churches fail to teach people that they must be truly born again. Christ taught that we must remain in the vine, in other words in him, as well as bear good fruit, or the Father will cut our branch off, and throw it into the fire.

When a person is truly saved through repentance and placing their faith in Christ, their spiritual garments are made white by the blood of the Lamb. All of our sins are passed over and we are saved by grace, apart from our works. However, God's Word teaches us that we are to keep our garments clean, for they can be defiled by living in a backslidden state and we can lose our salvation.

(Isaiah 53:4-7) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

When Christ died upon the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. The temple veil covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies. Only the Levitical priest was permitted to enter this most inner chamber. The Ark of the Covenant was kept there. The priest would sprinkle blood upon the mercy seat, between the two cherubim, on top of the Ark. This was done to cleanse the tabernacle, as well as make atonement for the sins of the people. The high priest would offer up an animal sacrifice for himself, as well as the people. When Christ made atonement for our sins upon the cross, his blood was sprinkled upon the mercy seat in Heaven. Christ, our high priest made the final sacrifice for sins. Since the veil was torn from top to bottom in the temple, we now have access to the Holy of Holies (God). The veil of separation between God and man has been removed forever.

The atonement of Christ also provided for the healing of our bodies. God’s Word states that He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and by His stripes, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Christ was scourged with the Roman cat of nine tails. This device had nine leather straps with bone and metal in each strap. Many men died from this type of torture, but our Lord endured it. His stripes provide healing for our physical bodies. God’s Word says that if there be any sick among you to call for the elders, to anoint with oil and pray over the sick, and the prayer of faith will restore them, and if they have committed sins they will be forgiven (James 5:14,15).

The Lord is willing to forgive us of all of our sins, no matter how big they are, if we will repent and turn from them. The Lord is very patient, as well as merciful with each of us; he gives us time to grow in our Christian walk. Will you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior? There is Heaven to be gained, as well as Hell to be avoided. If we repent of our sins, as well as make confession of our faith in Christ, we shall be saved. If you would like to accept Christ into your heart, then please pray with me.

Lord Jesus Christ,

I believe that you are the Son of God, the creator of all things.

I believe that you died upon the cross for my sins, and I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins, as I turn from them to everlasting life.

I believe that the Father raised you from the dead, and that by accepting you as my Savior, you will also raise me from the dead when you return.

Please help me to allow your Holy Spirit to transform me into a new creation.

Lord Jesus, please send your Holy Spirit now to live within me.

In the most holy name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!

This prayer alone will not save your soul, unless you pray with sincerity, as well as conviction. Accepting Christ into your heart is the beginning of your Christian walk, not the end. You must remain in the faith, study your Bible, as well as grow spiritually. The Holy Spirit is our helper, counselor, and friend, he is the portion of God’s Spirit that indwells us.

Please consider these Scriptures in regard to salvation.

(Romans 10:9-13) 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.”

( 1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(John 15:1-4) “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

(1 Timothy 6: 11-12) But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

(2 Cor 7:10) For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

(Luke 15:7) I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

(1 Cor 6:9-11) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Do you stand out? Part 1

If the world can't tell whether or not you are a Christian, then how do you stand out?  When you claim to be a Christian, trust me, people are always watching and waiting for you to act in an ungodly manner so they can call you a hypocrite. Instead of being a bad example, your lifestyle should point to God so strongly others want to get to know Jesus. I will start this series from the outside. If we look like the world on the outside, how are people to believe what we say?  

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 1 Timothy 2:9-10

God has been laying it on my heart for several months to write on the topic of modesty, but I have been putting it off, knowing it may not be well-received. 

When I was younger I often and sang (or played my trumpet) for the church. When attending a new church, the pastor's wife approached me the first time I was scheduled to sing there and gave me a dress code. Although I was only 21 or 22 at the time, I appreciated and respected the church's rules of modesty.  However, watching a Christian singer on YouTube a few weeks ago reminded me the modesty codes of churches 30 years ago have drastically changed and I cannot keep silent on this issue.  The female singer I am referring to was singing at a very well-known church founded by a man with strong holiness views (he has since passed away). The singer always dresses modestly because she also claims to have holiness views. However, her backup singers were wearing very short skirts and high heels. Let's not pretend these women were ignorant that their outfits would get male attention.  First, I do not know if the background singers were the main singer's personal choir or were chosen by the church. Either way, that leads me to ask why neither the church nor the "holiness" singer are encouraging its women to dress modestly.  Who were they trying to glorify? Not God! 

O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing?  Psalm 4:2

Neither 1 Timothy 2 (above) or 1 Peter 3 (below) say we should not have nice hairstyles, wear jewelry, or dress in nice clothes, they are simply reminding us that our looks should not be our primary focus.  Instead, our focus should be on godliness.

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves. I Peter 3:3-5

The way women dress themselves and their children becomes more obscene every year.  In today's society, the way women dress begs for attention. The short shorts, low cut and/or tight tops, see-through clothing, miniskirts, skintight pants/leggings, crop tops, and all bathing suits are designed to show off as much as possible for no other reason than to stir up lust in the opposite sex.  Men are turned on by sight alone, and women are not naïve enough to let this fact pass over her head.  Although not all of us, but most women like to tease and titillate.  Why do you think pornography is a million (or is it billion) dollar industry? 

Ladies, if you claim to be a Christian and are dressing provocatively, why?  You are trying to titillate men and show off your figure.  Lust and vanity are both against what the Lord teaches.  

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is NOT of the Father, but IS of the world. 1 John 2:16

It is bad enough when a single woman is trying to purposefully stimulate men, but when it is a married woman, it is even worse. This revolves around vanity, or more specifically, being so vain you place your ego above your mate to the point you have become disloyal to your marriage.

Let's start with Facebook (or other social media).  I see so many men and women who are married that have only a picture of themselves as a profile picture.  This is not so bad, (although I believe husbands and wives should have a joint Facebook page) but what irritates me is when they are posed in a provocative way and/or dressed to show off their body.  A look of, "Hey, everybody, check me out; aren't I cute!" is written all over his/her face. Rather than, "Look at my spouse and me; aren't we an adorable couple?"  Simply including your mate in your profile picture says to the world that you are very happily spoken for, and you are proud of your marriage. 

When I see a woman with a man (whether he is the husband or not) dressed in a way that leaves little to the imagination, it really makes me sad (especially when they have kids with them).  My husband, Mel, has put it perfectly; he says that women like that are never going to be loyal.  If she wants all men's eyes on her, then she is not honoring the man she is with, be it boyfriend, fiancé, or husband.  Logic says if she is willing to show off so much skin and does not care who she titillates, she is willing to cheat on her spouse.  If you do not want the attention, then why dress that way?  You can be perfectly comfortable in a modest sundress, capris, and not a hint of cleavage needs to be showing even in 100-degree temperatures.  I have seen many women dressed modestly and still be fashionable.  Therefore, using the excuse that it is hot will not work; the truth is that it is all about vanity.  God hates vanity and pride.

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look... Proverbs 6:16-17

Matthew 5:28 makes it very clear lusting after someone is a sin, so why would you encourage someone to sin just to boost your own ego?

 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28

When you get married, it is, as Genesis 2:23-24 states, becoming one flesh. You belong to each other. We may not be property in the literal sense, but in a way, we are each other’s property. We belong to God first, then our mate. 

Do not dress provocatively. The only man I want looking at me with lust is Mel. I cannot control who looks at me, but I can control the way I dress outside our home. I am not talking turtlenecks and only ankle-length skirts (although I feel decent length for skirts should be at least mid-calf length and shorts should be at least to your knees), but I use common sense on what would be considered inappropriate. If in doubt, I ask Mel, "Is this too short?" "Is this too low cut?" "Can you see through this?" “Is this too tight?”  And I fully trust his opinions. I want to honor both God and my husband with my body

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I am especially saddened by parents encouraging their innocent children to dress provocatively. It is a parent’s job to protect their children from all kinds of harm including pedophiles.  Do you think these creeps full of perversion are failing to leer at your immodestly dressed child because they (or you) want your child to look "cute"?  I will say it again, parents need to protect their children, which includes making better choices on how they dress and act around adults! It is not as if all pedophiles have a large "P" on their forehead. You do not know who is happily titillated that you dressed your child in so little clothing and are parading him/her all over town! Or have him/her dancing to secular music and post the very adult movements all over social media. You know I am not talking about innocent kids' dances such as "I'm a Little Tea Pot." Kids as young as 2 years old are being offered up as entertainment all over social media dancing to proactive song lyrics and imitating the sexual movements while the adults laugh. God is not laughing! In fact, He weeps for this loss of innocence.

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6

This does not just go for women wearing provocative clothing, but for men as well.  I know that certain styles are in fashion, and most will think I am just being old-fashioned, but a lot of these styles represent a secular lifestyle, which includes the drug culture.  Being a stand-out Christian in a secular world has more to with how we present ourselves on the outside (which I will explore later in this series) but think twice about why you want to look a certain way.  Is it because you are more concerned with being a man-pleaser than a God-pleaser?  Who are you trying to imitate, the world or God?

Profile of a Doubter, Part 6: Moses & Jeremiah

As with part two about Elijah seeming an odd choice for a doubter, you may also be wondering why I am choosing two more heroes of the faith in this series.  Both of their times of doubt were something to which I am certain we can all relate.

I will begin with Moses.  I am going to keep this very brief and not go into the full story of Moses.  I am simply going to touch on the key point in Moses' life when he was called by God.

If you do not know how the story of Moses begins, you can read about it in Exodus 2.  There are only 25 verses in chapter two and yet there have been many versions of the early years of Moses made into movies. First, do not ever, ever take the word of a very corrupt Hollywood as truth about anything the Bible says.  These movies are all speculation and not fact.  They get a lot wrong, so just skip all the movies and read the Bible instead!  

For the sake of this article, I am going to jump ahead to Exodus 3.  Moses is called into the ministry in a very unique way.  

And the angel of the Lord [This was Jesus.] appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, "Here am I." And He said, "Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Moreover He said," I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:2-5-6

After Moses is given the instructions of traveling back to Egypt to demand to Pharoah to release the Hebrew slaves (verses 7-10), his insecurities immediately take over.  

 And Moses said unto God, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"  Exodus 3:11

Don't we all feel that way when God gives us a task?  At least I do.  Who am I God?  I am not special. I am full of flaws.  No one repects my opinions or listens to me.  In fact, that's almost exactly what Moses says next in chapter 4.

And Moses answered and said, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee."  Exodus 4:1

I can completely relate to this.  Can you?  No one takes me seriously.  I am shy and not bold.  Why would God choose to use me? In verses 2-9, God gives Moses a series of miraculous signs he can use to prove to the people that he is indeed sent by God.  Obviously, it is very unlikely we ourselves will be allowed such signs, but that does not mean God can't work in other ways, such a miraculously softening up a hard heart long enough to listen to the messages God gives us.

Even after God says He will allow Moses to use these miraculous signs, Moses still feels unsure of his calling.  His words,  "O my Lord, I am not eloquent" are exactly the same I have said hundreds of times.

And Moses said unto the Lord, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." Exodus 4:10

Does God then say to Moses, "Never mind then, I will choose someone who took speech classes and is an outstanding orator?"  No!  He reminds Moses of the Truth. I love these verses! 

And the Lord said unto him, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."  Exodus 4:11-12

God could have suddenly granted Moses the gift of being a perfect speaker.  Ever wonder why He did not?  Perhaps to keep Moses humble, or maybe because Moses doubted God, rather than saying, "I am a weak vessel God, but I trust You can make me strong and supernaturally encourage others to listen to me."  Or perhaps it was for the sake of the helper He allows to accompany Moses, his brother Aaron (verses 16-17).  Whatever the reason, we can safely say that Aaron was called as much as Moses was.  But eventually the faith and obedience in Moses would grow much stronger and his understanding of God would surpass all the Israelites and he would be the ultimate leader of them all.  Just remember, we now live under a new covenant, and we are to follow the ways of Jesus Christ over the man-made laws that existed in Moses' time (See Hebrews 8:13 & Hebrews 12:24), with the exception that we still follow the 10 Commandments that were written by the finger of God.

Again, I want this to be brief, so I am not going to continue on with the story of Moses, but I hope you can see my point.

Now here is where I want to parallel Moses to one my favorite Old Testament prophets, Jeremiah.  When he is called by God, He has the same insecurities Moses had.

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Then said I, "Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child." But the Lord said unto me, "Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord." Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." Jeremah 1:4-9

You can see here that Jeremiah also had a moment of doubt in his own calling.  He felt he was too young and probably also did not feel the older men would respect what he had to say.  But just as with Moses, God reminds Jeremiah that He alone made us, and if He chooses us for a specific task, He will make it possible for us to serve Him.

Whether we think we are too shy, poor speakers, too old, too young, not healthy enough, not smart enough, or whatever excuses we may use, God does not want our doubts but our faith.  He wants us to trust His will and His plans to serve Him.  God is gracious and understands our doubts, and if needed He will send us a helper as he sent Aaron.  More importantly, He will send His Holy Spirit to enable us and help us serve according to His perfect will.  To glorify His name, and not our own.  

May we quit making excuses why we cannot serve and instead start saying, as my other favorite Old Testament prophet says in Isaiah 6:8, "Here am I; send me." 

It is important to be humble and not puffed up with pride as God prefers to use a "broken and contrite heart" (Psalm 51:17) to serve Him.  In fact, it is those of us who say, "Why me, Lord?" in humility and understand the nature of serving others other than self-service, that God is more likely to call.  He wants ones willing to change, not ones who think he or she is already perfect.

Profile of a Doubter, Part 5: Thomas

Thomas is so well-known for his skeptical attitude that the phrase "doubting Thomas" was coined to describe those lacking in faith.

As you know, Thomas was one of Jesus' twelve disciples.  You do not hear from Thomas until the book of John, when the disciples find out Lazarus had died.

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”  John 11:16

The amplified version of this verse (I usually quote from the King James Version) says...

"...Let us go too, that we may die [be killed] along with Him."

Did he literally mean he wanted to die?  Or was he was speaking out of grief?  He is already showing signs of a lack of faith when things are not going well.  Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead shortly after Thomas' statement.  In spite of all the miracles Thomas has witnessed Jesus perform, I am sure he also saw his share of tragedy.  It was improbable he knew Jesus was going to raise Lazarus, especially since Lazarus had been in his tomb for four days!  So, I suppose you cannot blame him for his defeatist attitude at this point, but it does show a pattern with him.  Perhaps he was always the pessimist of the group.

We next hear from Thomas in John 14 as Jesus is talking to his disciples about heaven.

 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  John 14:1-5

Instead of Thomas simply saying, "Of course, Lord, I will follow you anywhere."  He again questions Jesus as if he doubts the words of His teacher.  It seems as if he was being argumentative because Jesus had just said, "And where I go you know, and the way you know.”   Thomas is like a child arguing with a parent or a childish adult who likes to argue with everyone.  Jesus reminds Thomas that He (Jesus) is the only way to Heaven, and if Thomas continues to follow Him, He will lead Thomas to Heaven.

Once again, you can understand Thomas' doubts since the concept of Heaven can be a bit confusing.  He was not aware of what Jesus was saying.  Perhaps he wasn't being sarcastic but was truly confused and wanted Jesus to clarify because his desire was to follow Jesus no matter where he went.  We cannot know for certain whether he was being obstinate or sincere.

Just as I can see Thomas' logical way of thinking in the above examples, I can also see how his train of thought must have been traveling after he witnessed Jesus' death on the cross.  His Lord had died a horrific death and had been placed in a tomb for three days.  Why should he believe Jesus had risen from the dead?  He had not been with the disciples the first time Jesus appeared to them in John, chapter 20. 

So he [Thomas] 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

When Jesus appears to the disciples a second time, Thomas was now with the rest.  Jesus did not chasten Thomas and say to him, "How dare you do not believe I have risen from the dead!  What is wrong with you, son?"  Instead...

And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said,

“Peace to you!”  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.”

And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

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 20:26-29

I love the gentle nature Jesus shows here.  He knows what Thomas had said previously and simply walks up to Thomas and quells Thomas' doubts.

I am sure you have all thought as I have, how could someone who spent three years at Jesus' side, listened to the profound teachings of Jesus, as well as witnessed a myriad of miracles still have so much doubt?  Did not Jesus tell them over and over that He would rise from the dead?  Of course, Jesus was usually cryptic and said things such as:

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John 2:19

The disciples did not fully understand what He meant. 

I have often been called a cynic, but I always answer with, "I am not a cynic, but a realist."  I say I am merely being logical!  Therefore, I can very much relate to Thomas (as well as to Sarah, Elijah, Zacharias, and Gideon).  I see the reality in front of me rather than the big picture.  I fail to understand the cryptic messages of Jesus and instead wallow in my confusion.  When things go against my will, how often have I doubted that Jesus will do as He has promised?  I sometimes am even so brazen as to doubt the love of my Heavenly Father.

The good news is, Thomas continued in his faith after Jesus ascended to Heaven.  He was even with the twelve in the beginning of Acts in the upper room.  We do not know for certain what happened to Thomas after this, but one theory is that in 52 AD, Thomas traveled to what is now known as India, converted many, and died there.  

Just as with the others I have written about in my doubter series, a lack of faith does not have to be the end of our walk with Christ.  Of course not!  Jesus knows our weaknesses and the limits of our human minds.  He knows it is sometimes hard for us to grasp what He is trying to teach us.  We may never understand it all this side of heaven. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:9

And my favorite verse:

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  I Corinthians 13:12

Notice again what Jesus says to Thomas,

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

I want to be one who has not seen and has still believed.  I want to see the big picture and not only focus on the nose on my face.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1

I want Hebrews 11:1 to permeate through me.  I do not want to be a doubting Julie.