I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
A Call to Believe
In John 20:19, after Jesus’ prophesied death and resurrection, we see that all of Jesus’ disciples have gathered, and Jesus went to see them. That is to say, almost all of them—Thomas wasn’t there. And when those who were present told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, Thomas did not believe it.
“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
John 20:25 NIV
A week later, when the disciples were gathered together again, Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
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.” (John 20:27 NIV)
Thomas immediately acknowledged that Jesus has, in fact, risen from the dead and is with them again. It’s here that Jesus says, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29 NIV).
Thomas believes, but Jesus is focused on even more than that. Jesus is addressing the rest of us, generations of believers to come who would believe without being able to see Him.
Jesus didn’t just die for us; He rose for us. And He didn’t deny Thomas what he asked for, but He also makes it clear that there is blessing for those who believe without seeing. The truth of His resurrection doesn’t rest on whether or not we’ve seen it. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). For us believers, what a gift to be among these who Jesus calls blessed!
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, ...
Fulfillment of God’s Promises
Hundreds of years before Jesus, the people of God were in trouble.
They were stuck in life, unable to help themselves, and perhaps beginning to doubt that God would save them. Have you ever felt the same way? If so, you might relate to the original audience of this verse—the exiles in Babylon.
The Babylonians conquered God's people and land, sending them hundreds of miles away. Maybe they thought that God had abandoned them, or that He couldn’t hear their cries. But God is always close—especially when His people call on His name.
Isaiah let his people know that God would provide a way out of Babylonian captivity. And God kept His promise, allowing His people to return home.
Generations later, many of God’s people saw themselves as being in a new exile. They were home, but all was not well. So they remembered this verse and its promise—that no matter how dark or desperate our situation might be, God is able to provide a path out of brokenness, ...
