The Spirit is Calling. Can you hear Him?

As we enter this new year 2026, realizing it may be the year the Lord comes to rescue His Bride, I am filled with the need to be in the greatest intimacy with the Holy Spirit.  His Presence is what brings peace to anything we may encounter in this sacred time before Yeshua comes, and we are supernaturally uplifted to join Him in the air according to His Word in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18.

1Th 4:17

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord

1Th 4:18

Therefore comfort one another with these words.  

For those who have a hard time believing in the "supernatural" and may doubt the validity of these words, Jesus, when He walked the earth, came to show us the Father and in His love brought the Kingdom of Heaven here complete with "supernatural" signs of His deity.  Why would we expect anything less from Him today?  If this scripture has been given, it will be fulfilled in HIS time. 

As we wait for that glorious event and experience, and as we have trusted Him: The One God sent to save us from the penalty we all would suffer (eternal death) to bring us into His eternal Kingdom of life as it was intended before the fall, we have been given the Gift of His Holy Spirit as a seal and promise of that life to come. 

I recently found a very special worship song from the 1970's that speaks to an intimacy that the Lord wants us to have with Him and what drew me into the Sacred Romance I have with Him today. The Link below will take you to that song and here are the lyrics that drew me.

The Spirit is calling.   Can you hear Him? 

       (359) Come Away - The Maranatha Singers | LYRIC VIDEO - YouTube 

Come Away

Song by

Maranatha! Music

Don't you be in such a hurry

Cause it only leads to worry

There's a time to work

But there's a time to pray

Try to find a quiet place

To hear His voice and seek His face

Can you hear the Spirit calling, Come away.

Come away, come away

Come and spend some time with Me,

Come away

Let your heart and mind be stilled

Let your empty cup be filled

Come and spend some time with Me,

Come away.

Are you sinking in your sorrow?

Are you worried about tomorrow?

Are the pressures of this life too hard to bear

If you cast your cares on Him

He'll give a perfect peace within

Can you hear the Spirit calling, Come away.

Hear Him say, Come away

Come and spend some time with Me

And my love will set You free

Come and spend some time with Me,

Come away.

Happy New Year 2026

2026 is finally here and this New Year has come with celebration and hopes, of a new season of great possibilities.

Could it be that this promise in God's Word will come to pass in 2026?

1 Thessalonians 4:17, for on that day (of His coming), it is written:  "For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a rousing cry, with God's Shofar; those who have died united with Christ will be the first to rise, and those who are left still alive will be caught up in the clouds (Raptured) to meet the Lord in the air and thus we will always be with the Lord.  So, encourage each other with these words".

I happen to believe the Holy Spirit is calling us through these words written long ago for this generation.  But can we hear Him? If so, how must we live in a way pleasing to Him in light of so great a promise? 

2025 was marked by a shift and move away from the familiarity I was accustomed to, and it ended with a new duty station and a nudge by the Holy One to engage in a study of the Book of Revelation.  

In all the studies I have done in all the books of the Bible, I have never taken the time to study the last book of the New Testament, and the last one that completes the cannon of scripture; line upon line, chapter and verse, word by word with the foundation of culture and context and with regard to the audience to whom it was originally given. 

This was a book written by a Jew for the Jews of the day who were in effect "Born Again" believers in Jesus as Messiah.  We know them today as Messianic Jews. The symbols John saw and wrote down were not as unfamiliar to his audience as they are mysterious to us today.  We must not make the mistake of trying to understand these symbols according to our modern-day experience of things created by and through human imagination and modern technology.  

I have listened to different teachers, expound on the mystery, with opinions and suppositions, commenting on bits and pieces but never sought to have the overview from an expository teaching method, something that provides a deeper understanding of the symbols John was told to write down as things he "saw".   

Yahweh does not leave us in the total dark, without understanding of His word, but gives His students clues and cues as to His plan and purposes for Humanity.  

As it pertains to the Body of Christ also known as His Bride, the next event with no other prophetic mile markers to be met, will be when He comes to pick us up as He promised before He left planet earth.  We have understood this as described in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 4:17:  "For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a rousing cry, with God's Shofar; those who have died united with Christ will be the first to rise, and those who are left still alive will be caught up in the clouds (Raptured) to meet the Lord in the air and thus we will always be with the Lord.  So, encourage each other with these words".

The reference to those who have "died united with Christ" was Paul addressing the concern of the early church who themselves were expecting to be raptured at any moment, that their beloveds would surely be taken up to be with Yeshua as well.  

The importance of this promise cannot be underestimated even as we wait in anticipation of that glorious day.  How we choose to live is influence by our belief in the imminent evacuation of the Bride of Christ before the 7-year tribulation period and before the "return of Yeshua". By our lifestyle we will attest and witness to the world around us the truth about our God and His eternal plans for us.  

A "witness" to the truth is designed to produce a response: conviction or condemnation.  It is not up to us what the outcome of our witness will be in the lives of those around us, but to be sure we must be a faithful witness to the life and existence of our Holy God and Savior Yeshua.  If conviction occurs it will lead to repentance and to ultimate forgiveness in salvation.  If not convicted, rebellion continues and will lead to judgement and ultimate punishment. 

Elsewhere in Scripture we are told about the influence of the lifestyle of a remnant.

Ezekiel 14:22, as Yahweh planned a disaster for Israel, and as they suffered His rebuke, He tells Ezekiel, "There will still be left a remnant in it (Israel) to be brought out, including both sons and daughters.  When they come out to you and you see their "way of life" (Lifestyle), and how they act, you will be consoled over the calamity I have brought upon Jerusalem, over everything I have done to it.  vs 23 "You will Understand that it was not without good reason that I did what I did".

Let this be a constant reminder to us that our lifestyle is to bring glory and honor to Yahweh all our days here on earth until this chosen generation is raptured by His supernatural intervention and for such a time as this, or via the temporal death of our physical bodies.  

We are not to fear anything but being outside of His grace and alienated from our Savior, Jesus, THE ONE who died that we might live with Him, eternally in the New Heaven and New Earth that is to come.  

As the days unfold according to the prophecy in the book of the "Revelation of Jesus the Christ" given to His disciple, John the Beloved, let us learn to sit at His feet and hear His voice speaking His will for us, personally as given to us by the Holy Spirit of Truth.

 

It is my firm belief that Jesus will make good on His Promise to rescue us BEFORE the great and terrible "day of the Lord" when truly all hell will break loose; when evil will be unleashed because the One restraining it will leave the earth realm and bring all of us who are indwelt by Him with Him to the place where "we will always be with the Lord."

We are to choose this day "Whom we will serve" and that means modeling a lifestyle of love and loyalty to our Savior and Lord Jesus.  What needs to change in my life so others will have an accurate picture of our God?  What needs to change in yours for that same end?

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him? 

                

   

 

  

Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  We are living in a time of great division within our ranks as believers.  Outside threats have created inside conflict.  How we handled what we see, and experience has made us feel like enemies to those who once were considered friends.  Legalistic judgement came knocking at my door a while ago and I was quite surprised at who was standing there.

When judgement from the world comes, we understand it as the persecution we have been promised we will suffer.   Jesus said, "A student is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master......If the head of the house has been called "Beelzebub" how much more the members of his household.    Matt 10:25 

Somehow we expect that the world will persecute us for a righteous stand but when judgement hits from our legalistic home team the shock is stunning.  My mind reels from the shock of the judgement from those, who by every standard of the Word have betrayed the very righteousness they claim to defend.

Jesus warned His disciples in Matt 10:21. While they found themselves in hot water with the ruling authorities the final blow to their unit came from within.  Judas was one of them.

The Holy One speaks to the recent attack and shares a comforting word and a warning:

"Within My Body grow tares along with the wheat.  The enemy has infiltrated your ranks and sewn deception and error under the religious precept called "legalism".  My sheep are confused and defeated by the ever-shifting standards of legalistic expectations.  Beware the yeast of the Pharisees".

I see the truth of His message.  As I look at the bigger Body of Christ and having been steeped in legalistic bondage for many years, I understand personally that the judgements I held over others was to enable me to accept myself.  I excused my own violations while pointing out those of others.  Exalted self became a whitewashed fence.

Jesus, our beloved Savior came to set us free from the law of sin and death and while we embrace that in theory, we set about imposing rules taught by men as the conditions for membership in the "club of the saved", otherwise known as the Church.

Isaiah was given a message from God, for the Nation of Israel that we might want to consider as a message for the Church today:

The Lord says, "these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." 

Even in the context of that day and ritualistic observation of the law, God was dialing them up to understand the point that He sees and judges the heart.  

Christianity for some is like a pop culture today.  Join up, go to Church on Sunday, do some good things, put on a clean front and live like a child of hell during the week. 

Hypocrisy abounds in the Church of the living God.  Lifestyles of the rich and famous are the ones we covet while rejecting the humble, simple life that Jesus modeled in obedience to the Father's will even unto death.

We claim Jesus as Savior but reject him as Lord.  We have been saved out of Sodom and Gomorrah but as Lot's wife, we look back mesmerized at the world and its offerings unto our utter destruction. 

We live in the land of religious and faith freedom today with no expectation of martyrdom.  Yet what am I doing with my freedom to impact the world for my Kingdom and my King?

Every human has been given “free will” to choose, whether it be to do evil or good, whether to seek the Lord while He may be found or reject the One who died that we might live.   But our loving God will always provide a reason to choose Him even in the most dire of circumstances.

I have to say and then judge myself: Hypocrisy abounds if my Christianity is only skin deep.  Hypocrisy flourishes if I commit the same sin as the world I judge.  Hypocrisy thrives if I lower the standard of Holiness rather than live up to its challenge.

The Word of God says that without holiness no one will see God.  Do I care that the world sees God through me?  If I compromise the life of Holiness within in favor of my own definition of righteousness, the world will not be able to see God through my life, no matter how I whitewash the outside. 

True to His role in our Sacred Romance, the Holy One helps me process the confusion and pain of unexpected things even in the form of legalistic judgements from others who are claiming to share the name Christian.   His warnings cause me to look deep within my own heart for similar things.  He invites me into His Presence and encourages me with His Word.

Lines are being drawn even in the Body of Christ.  Matt 10 gives a prophetic expose of what we are to expect in these final days before the return of our King.  Jesus said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword". 

The sword of Christ will divide, and it is a great divide.   The line between those who pay lip service and those whose hearts are true to the Lord will become more and more clear as life here ratchets up.  Here is where the "choosing" truly matters.

Knowing the line is being drawn helps me to choose on which side I will make my stand.  I am thankful that the Holy One calls to me each morning, for in His Presence there is peace.   Once again, I surrender my heart to the only one who can comfort it.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear him?

 

Brace for Impact!

The battle is raging.  A clear line has been drawn in the shifting sands of our world.  It seems that on the prophetic timeline of our Creator's calendar, the return of our King Jesus (Yeshua) is very near.  That said, nobody knows that date, yet we are wise if we do not ignore nor reject that there is such a date when we will see Him coming in the clouds and place His feet on the exact place where He ascended into Heaven before the eyes of the disciples who bore witness to His resurrection.

Acts1:10-11, "As they were staring into the sky after Him, suddenly they saw two men dressed in white (Angels by definition), standing next to them.  The men said, "You Galileans! Why are you standing staring into space?  This Yeshua, Who has been taken away from you into Heaven, will come back to you in the very same way as you saw Him go into Heaven". 

Much time has passed since that epic day.  A battle of kingdoms began when Jesus came into the world and brought the knowledge of God and His plan for our rescue from the penalty of Sin and eternal death.   He declared war on the fallen little "g" gods who rebelled their divine state and rejected their Holy calling to instruct humans in the worship of Yahweh Elohim, God of all Creation, instead taking such worship unto themselves.   Their end is ultimate fatality and loss of their immortality. Psalm 82 

As the days unfold and the nations (people groups) rage against our Kingdom and King, the battle is heating up.  For those of us who trust and believe in the message brought by Jesus; that His shed Blood on the Cross of His crucifixion is our atonement for humanity's sin failure and has been accepted by our Creator God as "payment-in-full", tribulation defined as a pressure to appease evil is mounting.  BUT GOD.  His Word reveals that HIS rage will soon be released and seen poured out against the wicked.  (Revelation 11:18, Isaiah 27:20-21)

As I ponder all that is part of the end times scenario as we have been given in His word, I realize things are not as random as events may appear.  There are clues we have been given in the form of Divine precedents throughout the history of Man's days, reflecting God's ways of dealing with the nations and His guiding principles we are able to apply, in each generation for our own peace and to advance the Kingdom of Heaven.  Truly Adonai is the same yesterday today and tomorrow.  Rev 4:11

That said, Evil is also the same since from the beginning of time.  Embodied as Satan the accuser we read about in the book of Job, the devil is the author of death and pain, sadness and sorrow.  He is a liar and the accuser of Yahweh's beloved.  His lies about the goodness of God and humanity's intrinsic value, creates rejection of both the Creator and the created.  This causes wars designed to conquer and destroy rather than to spread the truth and knowledge of our benevolent Creator and bring a love for our own "kind".

The Children of Israel and now Christians who have trusted in Jesus as the One sent by God to save us from the penalty He established for the sin of human rebellion, are the targets of the devil's crusade to rob, kill and destroy all that God created and said "It is good"! 

Over the course of history, enemies of Adonai's authority over His created world and what might be described as His Kingdom, have launched (by human rebels) depraved assaults against His Sovereignty and Good Will in and for our lives in this earth realm.  As absurd as that is, there is now a battle raging between a kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Heaven and our Sovereign Creator.   We are part of the army He will use to bring defeat to His enemies.  

I believe we are in a very strategic time and battle where His judgement of evil (acts and people) will not be postponed.  I hear Him say, "Brace for impact.  A collusion of kingdoms is about to occur."  What this means and how it will look is yet to be understood.             

Having said that, I recently dreamed about an Israeli woman, not just being murdered by terrorists but having her body mutilated and then asking Adonai the "why" question?

He spoke to me how these terrorists are in reality, demons that we are dealing with and for them murder of our kind (Yahweh's imagers) is not enough. They must desecrate our image. From murder they go to dismemberment and treating human bodies like an animal butchered for meat.

I hear those who do such things are demons in flesh and must be taken out.

Then He speaks to how these demoniacs are behind abortion and all that it involves. They are the same demons who mutilated Yeshua's human body beyond "human" recognition.

Point being, the virile hatred of Yahweh's imagers is manifesting out of possessed “people”. The devil and his hordes are making this last stand for ultimate power.

I’m convinced that Satan doesn’t care how many Christians die saved or how many non-believers die lost, his goal is to obliterate or neutralize those who might enter the kingdom battle and exercise our Divinely delegated dominion over him. 

Since Yeshua (Jesus) came and defeated Satan’s power on the cross, reclaiming for humanity what was surrendered in the garden of our origins, the battle has been to keep us deceived and ignorant of our Divine identity and delegated authority to destroy the devil’s works.  We are commissioned to advance the Kingdom of Heaven.

This goes beyond having a different world view from someone else. This goes to the heart of utter evil. This is a kingdom battle and we cannot minimize or excuse the opposition as just a territorial dispute of a land mass.

Dropping bombs from the air in nations at war, is different than mutilating the bodies of your enemy after torturing them through humiliating inhumane acts.

We need to get it straight: these demonic forces come to rob, kill and destroy US. Evil hates humanity: those who serve his purposes as much as those who oppose him.

Time for a check on who/what is being served by our mindset, perspective and stand on the situations we are called to judge. Good or evil is the choice and always remember the fence between the two belongs to Satan.

Regardless of what political side of the aisle you sit, as humans we must stand together against the demons who make war on our own kind. Pick your battles and fight. 

Whether human trafficking, abortion, satanic child sacrifice, and all that goes with it, sexual abuse of the innocent, organ harvesting, trans gendering of our birth identity and destruction of our true identity, (God’s immortal image bearers) take your stand and don’t back down. Appeasement equals defeat! 

Evil can and must be defeated, so my beloved friends: “burn the ships” there’s just no turning back in this battle.  Stand firm, Trust Yahweh, follow Yeshua, share the Gospel and help save the "Rahabs" caught behind enemy lines!

Have a blessed day in the realm.  I hope to see you on the battlefield. ☝️✝️⚔️🛡️🔥❤️‍🔥

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

"They Have No More Wine and Mary's Trust"

 The Holy One calls to me this morning.  So many mind-bending things are happening in the world and humanity needs help.

The call to be an intercessor came long ago in my life. Lessons on intercession are always being taught.  It seems so strange to look back and see the honing process over time.  I feel the burden to pray for specific things that I think the people or situations "need".  When people ask for prayer, it usually comes with a desired resolution to the problem.

Sometimes it seems that the Lord wants me to participate in being part of the answer like when a person voices a deep need for something I can provide such as food or clothes or paying a bill in their behalf.  Other times it seems that He wants me to think of a creative resolution and petition for that resolution, thus co-laboring with Him in the crisis.

Today He speaks yet another response to the burden to help as I am slowly learning to see all things in light of eternity.  He simply said, "Mary got it right".     

His words are often so mysterious at first.  But that is His way to lead me into all truth.  He knows I love a mystery and He is the greatest mystery that exits for man to try to solve. 

He first reminds me of the essence of the model prayer that Jesus taught the disciples to pray.  That prayer begins with the acknowledgment of the One from who all blessing flow: Our Father who is in Heaven.  Then He moves on to the honor due His name.  But then, Jesus teaches us to surrender all things to Him:

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

in earth as it is in Heaven.

As one who prays and all who should, this passage cuts through human pride and motivation.  We struggle with this because we allow the chasm to exist between God's will and our own.  If we truly understood the Kingdom of Heaven and God's will, we would pray without ceasing for all the goodness that Heaven holds and is God's ultimate will for His beloved.

As I ponder His statement, the Holy One directs me back to the very first miracle we find in the Gospel of John.  Jesus and His disciples were in attendance at a wedding in Cana.  It was a time of great celebration and running out of wine would be a horrible social faux pas.

As the story unfolds, Mary, the mother of Jesus was aware of the problem:  they had no more wine.

As I imagine the scene, Jesus was just a guest and the people at the celebration had no idea who He was for He had not yet revealed himself as the Son of God.

But Mary knew her son and most likely watched Him handle other issues in their lives.  But upon that we can only speculate since there is no record of that in scripture.

I am fascinated by the exchange between Mary and Jesus in John 2:3-5. "When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine".  "Dear woman, why do you involve me?  My time has not yet come".  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you".

Here was a major social crisis unfolding.  A beautiful wedding feast that was still in progress was about to be ruined.  One very important element in their celebration was the fruit of the vine I.E the wine and that well had run dry.

The failure to have enough wine for the duration of the entire wedding feast was an unspeakable humiliation for the parents.  That social custom was loaded with Spiritual symbolism, since the Jewish wedding and marriage celebration is a picture of the ultimate wedding of Christ to His Bride, the Church.

For all the arguments that focus on the alcohol issue pro and con, the turning of the water into wine is much different and deeper than the drink it represents.

John, the disciple who penned this Gospel, was intent on sharing the "miracles" as "signs" and not to be enamored with the miraculous details but rather to stand in awe of the One sent from Heaven who could change earth's reality.  These were "signs and wonders" that identified Jesus as God in the flesh.

As I read the account and the exchange between Jesus and His mother, I understand what the Holy Spirit has pointed out today:  Precious Mary, went to her son Jesus and simply stated the crisis that she saw in the making, "They have no more wine".

She did not go into all the explanation of what it would do or what it would mean to the host or the guests or the social standing of the family. Nor did she go to Him with a blueprint, or list of suggestions on how to handle the uncomfortable situation.  There was no evidence of her opinion or personal plan as to what Jesus could or should do to resolve the problem.

What an amazing picture of how we as believers are to handle our problems in life especially those we cannot personally fix.  And then to try to understand the answers that come in light of eternity and the bigger picture of God's purpose in each trial.

Our Father in Heaven cares about the details in each one of our lives, but His perspective traverses all of life and all of eternity, past, present and future, where ours is limited to the very specific hour and day that we are in at this moment.

To delight ourselves in the Lord is not to delight ourselves in merely the momentary provision for our needs met or done our way, but to delight in His Being and the relationship He operates in with regard to His beloved.

I know that apart from Him we can do nothing yet by His Holy Spirit within are set apart to do (and witness) incredible things, all according to the bigger picture that brings glory and honor to the Creator and provides the evidence of His being and life to the world around us.

The answers we are provided are not just to ease our pain or win a battle victory so we can get puffed up with pride.  The answers are not for us to "brag" about having God's ear or to justify our righteous cause.

The answers come for a much higher purpose and that is to bring glory and honor to the One who provides them and recognize His greater purpose in them.

My lesson in today as I look at the account of Mary, Jesus and the problem that presented an opportunity to connect with the Power of heaven, is to follow the model of Mary and the exhortation in Philippians 4:4-6: 

"Rejoice in the Lord always I will say it again rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near.  Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Mary reflected the peace, confidence, and trust that Jesus would take care of the problem and He did.    

Our world today is a crazy terrifying place, but God is still on His throne and still giving all of us the evidence of His being.  As we face what seem to be impossible circumstances in our lives, I pray we all will remember that "Mary got it right" and what we can learn from her simple assessment of an impossible situation that brought her to her powerful God: "They have no more wine."

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him? 

Imagine This: The Empty Seat

Many years ago, I learned a lot of valuable lessons, understanding Biblical principles from the Parables Yeshua spoke to His audiences.  Ancient principles conveyed in stories of (then) current life situations.  I was moved to create short stories from the pictures the Lord painted in my mind like the parables He spoke back in the day.   

I will be sharing some of these word pictures from out of my "Imagine This" file.  I pray they speak to you as they have spoken to me.  

IMAGINE THIS: The Empty Seat

You come from a big family…..

Almost too many to count…..

You feel like you are just one among so many.

You Father has a big heart…..

But with so many siblings…..

You wonder if He could possible care about you.

You lost contact with Him…..

So long ago…..

It seems that your thoughts of Him…..

Are no more than a figment of your imagination.

Year after year you have been getting…..

Something that sounds…..

Like a family invitation to come home.

But even that seems vague…..

And you doubt that it’s real.

You have gone to the websites…..

That track family histories……

Wondering if your family is even there.

Then, one day, comes a knock at your door…..

A friendly face appears…..

There is something familiar…..

About the one standing there…..

A family resemblance, perhaps.

You listen to the words of greeting…..

There is excitement about having found you.

Something about a family reunion…..

And where you belong.

You agree to go with this “excitable” friend.

Just to see for yourself…..

If what was spoken is really the truth.

You arrive at the place of family celebration.

You enter the banquet hall and feel the unity.

Then your eyes meet…..

With the One you now know is your Father.

The tears fall…..

The ache in your heart is no longer there.

From the doorway you see…..

The seat that is yours.

The one that has been empty for so long.

You now know that the message is true……

You notice the look on your Father’s face.

There is love and joy…..

But something else that seems like relief.

These family gatherings…..

Have been going on…..

For a long, long time.

You look around…..

At all your brothers and sisters seated there…..

It finally dawns on you…..

In all these years of celebration…..

Your seat has remained empty.

With each passing year…..

Your Father’s heart grieved…..

Over you……

The one missing at His table.

Little did you know…..

How important you are…..

And have always been…..

To your Father and the family.

Your empty seat says it all…..

No matter how big the family may get…..

The look in your Father’s eye tells you…..

No one else can fill your place…..

In His heart or at His table…..

Can you imagine that?

If this touches your heart.  Maybe it's time to "come home"!

The Holy Spirit is Calling.  Can you hear Him?   

"Doubting" Thomas: His Story, Our Story

The Holy One calls to me this morning.   On Sunday we came together as a faith community to share in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.  The reminder of His sacrifice and the Glorious Resurrection He modeled as a preview of our own.  As we sit in personal assessment of what human sin cost Him, and confess what represents sin in our lives, we lean into the forgiveness offered by His death on the cross.  My mind tracks back to that historic time after His death and resurrection, when He appeared to many in His glorified form. 

I was reminded by the Holy One that Jesus hung around in His glorified body for "forty days" and was seen by many to give evidence of His resurrection to the Disciples who knew Him.

Acts 1:3, "After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave them convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke of the Kingdom of God".

While the personal stories may vary, each one of us has (or needs to have) one that relates to the first time we really "see" the Lord for Who He is.  Today, the Holy One takes me to the disciple named Thomas and his interesting story of that day in his life.  The day he "saw" the Resurrected Christ.

John conveys the account in His Gospel record, and how the disciple came to have the nick name of "doubting Thomas" in John 20:24-29.  We can join in with the crowd that has looked down on Thomas until we admit that all of us have had our doubts about God.

In reading the Biblical account of the resurrection, others told Thomas that they had "seen" the Lord.  They told him of their personal encounter and testimony, but Thomas wasn't buying it.  In fact, he told everyone that, despite knowing Jesus the man, and having heard His words about His death and resurrection, he would not believe in Jesus as God unless and until he put his hands in the nail holes of His crucified body.

What Thomas was desperately needing was a personal encounter with the living and resurrected Messiah.  I think that sometimes the real importance of this story gets lost in the judgment of Thomas' doubt.

For me, the really awesome point of this account is that Jesus met him in his doubt.  I believe the Lord's response and why it was recorded was so that we could read about Thomas' wrestle. In the deepest places of our heart's desire to truly know the Lord, we simply are not satisfied with someone else's testimony.

The Holy Spirit speaks encouragement to my heart today, "Keep praying for manifestations of my Presence for I will surely appear".  Could it be that the Lord wants to use our doubts to open the door to a more personal encounter with Himself?

Scripture says in John 20:24, "now Thomas, (called Didymus) one of the 12 was not with the other disciples when Jesus came, so the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord".

I cannot even begin to imagine the sorrow in Thomas' heart that he missed the most amazing moment in history.  Jesus made an appearance post death and Thomas was not there to witness it.   He was not present with "the others".  Was it extreme self-disappointment and faux pride that said, 'unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my hand into his side, I will not believe"?

I would be saying "poor Thomas" if I haven't been in that place myself, listening to someone else's testimony without my own. 

But what happens next in this epic story is nothing short of a personal love relationship forged forever in the furnace of desire.   Thomas has a personal criterion in order for him to believe in the resurrected Savior.  Thomas declared it, God heard it and Jesus met it.

"A week later His disciples were in the house again and through the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you".  Then He said to Thomas, "put your fingers here: see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into, my side.  Stop doubting and believe."  Thomas said to Him, "My Lord and my God" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed".

Personal relationships involve personal encounters.  Should we expect anything less in our personal relationship with our Savior and Lord?  The wonder of Thomas' story is that Jesus met him where he was in his doubt.  And that is our hope and assurance: that Jesus will do the same for us.

The world turns, life spins out of our control, doubts arise and failures in faith happen, but through it all we can be assured that Jesus IS here and ready to provide the convincing proofs of His resurrection life, not if, but when we need them. 

Sanctification is a process.  Faithfulness is a fruit and the evidence of the Holy Spirit of Jesus within each one of us.  It is a quality of a life that bares His fruit.  I am having to re-think my judgement of Thomas and his stated criteria for belief. 

For Thomas who knew the "man" Jesus, to see the body that was pieced was not a "fleece" but a foundation.  In that moment when his hand touched the place of those mortal wounds, Thomas moved beyond any and all doubt that Jesus is God.

What is the equivalent of Thomas' criteria in our lives today?  What would it take for us to move beyond all doubt that Jesus is Who He said He is and Trust Him as our Savior and Lord?  If Jesus was willing to appear and show Thomas what he needed to see, He will do the same for all who truly want to believe.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?