Let's begin by reading in John:
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord.""Thomas faith" means you have to see it before you believe it. God wants us to have faith in Jesus and His Word (the Bible) when we hear it, without having to see it first.
But he said to them, "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 it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and 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." 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."
(John 20:24-29)
It is this type of faith that causes a person to be blessed. You and I will not see Jesus until we pass on to the other side, but we believe in Him now because we heard the good report (Rom. 10:8-17).
As Christians, we cannot even receive answers to prayer unless we can believe God gives us what we ask before we have it or see it (Mark 11:23-24). Do not be like Thomas. Believe it before you see it!
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Joe Cameneti Sr. is the lead pastor of Believers Church, located in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina, pioneered Believers Church in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School.
In addition to leading a thriving local church, Pastor Joe is the host of a weekly show called "BCTV." The program is aired locally, reaching over 30,000 people each month.
Pastor Joe is a gifted communicator, skilled in the art of building bridges to unchurched America. Transparent and authentic, you'll walk away challenged and encouraged to connect with God in a deeper way.
