Do You Believe This?

I remember as a kid watching Doug Henning perform magic tricks or illusions.  He did some pretty amazing things.  His annual shows were so good that he won quite a few Emmys.  One particular illusion has never left my mind.  It is one that really made me wonder how real the “magic” really was.  With that particular trick he managed to walk through a solid brick wall.  Being I wasn’t there on stage with him I have no way of knowing how real that brick wall was or if camera trickery or mirrors were used.  I just know that it looked awfully real.  The question was, did I believe it was an illusion done very well or really something more?  Was it real magic?  Did he really walk through that wall?  I know in his personal life he was in to Transcendental Meditation and other such new age things.

There are many occasions in our lives that we will encounter things and not know what to believe.  We may even turn to those around us and say, “Do you believe this?”  We need someone else’s five senses and logic to help us figure it out.  Jesus was God in the flesh and He came to this Earth to demonstrate God’s power to us.  He performed many miracles that we have the opportunity to read, even some that are not recorded according to scripture.  I am sure there were a lot of skeptics surrounding the disciples and Jesus.  We see “healings” today performed by Faith Healers.   Do we believe what we see?  It is all an internal decision made with guidance from the Holy Spirit if we are listening to Him.  He can confirm what is real or not real.

During Easter week (which I really hate calling this special week that, because that is a Pagan holiday), we take time to remember and encourage ourselves with what Christ did.  He out of love for us died on the cross and resurrected.  He did it all of His own free will.  Some may say this was all an illusion.  I had a professor once who told me there was probably a back door to the cave and his body was stolen by his disciples.  If we want to, we can excuse anything away that we want.  We have to choose to believe or not believe.  Read what Jesus said in John 11:25-26.

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?”

Do you believe in Him?  Do you believe in what He did for you?  Do you believe He died for your sins?  Do you believe He resurrected?  Do you believe that you can live eternally with Him?  Do you believe this?

Do You Believe This?

I remember as a kid watching Doug Henning perform magic tricks or illusions.  He did some pretty amazing things.  His annual shows were so good that he won quite a few Emmys.  One particular illusion has never left my mind.  It is one that really made me wonder how real the “magic” really was.  With that particular trick he managed to walk through a solid brick wall.  Being I wasn’t there on stage with him I have no way of knowing how real that brick wall was or if camera trickery or mirrors were used.  I just know that it looked awfully real.  The question was, did I believe it was an illusion done very well or really something more?  Was it real magic?  Did he really walk through that wall?  I know in his personal life he was in to Transcendental Meditation and other such new age things.

There are many occasions in our lives that we will encounter things and not know what to believe.  We may even turn to those around us and say, “Do you believe this?”  We need someone else’s five senses and logic to help us figure it out.  Jesus was God in the flesh and He came to this Earth to demonstrate God’s power to us.  He performed many miracles that we have the opportunity to read, even some that are not recorded according to scripture.  I am sure there were a lot of skeptics surrounding the disciples and Jesus.  We see “healings” today performed by Faith Healers.   Do we believe what we see?  It is all an internal decision made with guidance from the Holy Spirit if we are listening to Him.  He can confirm what is real or not real.

During Easter week (which I really hate calling this special week that, because that is a Pagan holiday), we take time to remember and encourage ourselves with what Christ did.  He out of love for us died on the cross and resurrected.  He did it all of His own free will.  Some may say this was all an illusion.  I had a professor once who told me there was probably a back door to the cave and his body was stolen by his disciples.  If we want to, we can excuse anything away that we want.  We have to choose to believe or not believe.  Read what Jesus said in John 11:25-26.

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. ²⁶ Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?”

Do you believe in Him?  Do you believe in what He did for you?  Do you believe He died for your sins?  Do you believe He resurrected?  Do you believe that you can live eternally with Him?  Do you believe this?