We live in a time of great uncertainty, spiritual darkness, and confusion. But just like that first Resurrection Sunday, a great light has broken into the darkness: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross to defeat sin and rose from the dead to defeat death. The Bible says He died and rose so that all who believe in His name would have life—eternal life. When He died, we died with Him. When He rose, we rose to new life in Him.
So why does believing matter so much? And what does it actually mean to “believe”?
The world says “seeing is believing” – God says “believing is seeing”! Most of us have said something like, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” We’re skeptical. We’ve been lied to. We’ve been disappointed. We’ve been trained not to trust. But the Bible flips that.
Scripture shows us this pattern over and over: - Faith first… then sight. - Faith first… then the Red Sea parts. - Faith first… then we pick up our mat and walk. - Faith first… and it’s counted to us as righteousness, like Abraham. The world says, “Show me, then I’ll trust you.” God says, “Trust Me, and then you’ll truly see.” Believing is seeing—seeing Jesus for who He really is.
The risen Jesus opens our eyes!
I think about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were confused, sad, and disappointed. They thought it was all over. Jesus walked with them, but they didn’t recognize Him. Their eyes were “restrained.” He opened the Scriptures to them—Moses and all the prophets—and explained how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and then enter His glory. They still didn’t realize who He was… until He broke bread with them. In that moment, their eyes were opened. He vanished, and they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us…?” That’s how God works. We don’t get it at first. We’re slow to believe. But as we listen, as we walk with Him, as we open our hearts to try to understand, suddenly the lights go on. Our hearts burn. We realize: “It’s Him. It’s been Him all along.”
Believing is seeing.
Then there’s our friend, Doubting Thomas. “I won’t believe unless I see”! The other disciples told him … hey, “We’ve seen the Lord!” Thomas basically said: “Nope. Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, Jesus appears. Doors locked. He stands in their midst and says what He always says when He shows up to our mess: “Peace to you.” Then He turns to Thomas: “Reach your finger here… look at My hands… put your hand into My side. Do not be unbelieving but believing.” Thomas, the skeptic, doesn’t argue. He doesn’t make excuses. He simply says: “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That’s us. We haven’t seen Him with our physical eyes. But we have eyewitness accounts—hundreds of men and women who saw Him, touched Him, ate with Him after He rose. Their lives were changed, and many died rather than deny what they knew was true. Believing their testimony is not blind faith. It’s reasonable faith. When we believe, God opens our spiritual eyes.
Who Jesus really is:
Jesus didn’t come to rope you into a religion. He came to bring you into a relationship with Himself—by your own free will. The whole Bible is a love story: God reaching out to people who’ve gone their own way, through the central person of Jesus Christ. We’ve all missed the mark. We’ve all sinned—whether in thought, word, or deed. Big sins, little sins, secret sins. It all separates us from a Holy God. But John 3:16 tells us why God did something about it: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Why is it to “just believe”? Why so simple? Because it’s based on His love, not our goodness. Not “I earned it.” Not “God’s so lucky to have me on His team.” It’s “God … SO LOVED…” He loves us – He loves you! I think the only way I finally grasped this kind of love - was to think of my own children and now my Grandchildren. I love them – so much – I would do anything for them. I think you’d agree … as a parent or grandparent, you’d do anything for your child. You’d run in front of a moving train if you had to - to save them. Wouldn't you sacrifice yourself? Jesus, God in the flesh, stepped off of His throne and into time – and took your sin on Himself at the cross. He paid your debt in full. Then He rose from the dead to give you - and all who would believe in Him - a new life. If ... you accept His sacrifice as payment for your own sin. That’s who He really is: Lord and Savior, God with us—Emmanuel.
The Two Thieves!
We see in Luke 23 … the two thieves on their crosses, same distance from Jesus – same opportunity to see, but two different responses. I think this is the clearest picture of how all people respond to Jesus. Two criminals - - One mocked: “If You’re really the Christ, save Yourself and us.” That’s the voice of unbelief: “Prove it.” - The other thief rebuked him: “Do you not even fear God? … We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” That second thief – got it right and recognized two things:
1. Who he was: guilty and deserving judgment.
2. Who Jesus was: innocent, righteous, more than a man—Lord and King.
So with that … he turned to Jesus and said: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” That’s believing faith. Saving faith! Hanging on a cross, with nothing else to offer but his need, he believed Jesus had a kingdom beyond that moment—and that Jesus could bring him in and save him. He recognized who Jesus was and what He was able to do. Jesus answered: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” One thief rejected. One thief believed. Same distance from Christ. Same opportunity. Two eternities. The difference? Your heart.
God has been tapping on the door of our hearts – throughout our life (a life He gave us by the way) … Which heart are you? Shut tight - or willing to open to take a peek at love's gentle tapping?
Sooner or later, every one of us has to face life’s most important question: “Am I ready to meet my Maker?” Am I ready to face the truth? Statisticians agree - 100% of all humans will one day die.
Rome wasn’t ready. The Pharisees weren’t ready. The skeptics weren’t ready. But the Bible tells us clearly how to be ready. Romans 10:9-10 NIV says: “If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Two things here:
1. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord- not just a nice teacher. Not just a religious figure. But as Thomas saw Him ... "My Lord—and my God".
2. Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. That His resurrection is real—He truly conquered death.
Verse 13 sums it up: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Everyone. That includes you. Not .... “you might be,” not “we’ll see.”
But definitively ... You will be safe ... saved!
Today, not “someday”
Maybe you’ve said in your heart, like I once did, “Someday I’ll get right with God. Just… not today.” Unfortunately - “Someday” is not on the calendar. The Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation.” Maybe you’ve never trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Maybe you did once, but you’ve drifted, gone your own way, living like He’s far when you know He isn’t. Running out of time? Today is a good day to come to Him… or to come back to Him. I’m going to share a simple prayer here. There’s no magic in these words. What matters is your heart. You can pray this silently where you are. If you want to receive Jesus as your King and Savior today -pray this prayer …
‘Lord, I confess I haven't always done the right thing ... I’ve fallen short (whether in my thoughts, words, or deeds) - I have sinned. – ‘I’ve gone my own way. Now though - I turn to You. I believe You are God. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose again. Please forgive me, save me, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to lead a better life and follow You from this day forward. I pray this In Jesus’ name, amen.’”
If you prayed that prayer (and sincerely meant it – (like that one thief on the cross), whether for the first time or the first time in a long time, God hears your heart. On the authority of His Word, you are forgiven. You are His. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
Don’t try to walk this out alone. You weren’t meant to. Find a good, Bible-based church family. Let others help you grow. If you’re close by, we’d be blessed to walk with you. (If you have any questions on any of this - please reach out to me in the comments section or email through our website contact form - and I'll be in touch).
Easter is not just a once a year holiday. It’s a fact that changes everything: It’s why we celebrate and say … “He is Risen”. When you believe in Him, your eyes are opened, and as you walk with Him - you begin to see who He really is: A God who loves you – Jesus Christ- God with us. Emmanuel! Happy Easter. Happy Resurrection Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Bob
So why does believing matter so much? And what does it actually mean to “believe”?
The world says “seeing is believing” – God says “believing is seeing”! Most of us have said something like, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” We’re skeptical. We’ve been lied to. We’ve been disappointed. We’ve been trained not to trust. But the Bible flips that.
Scripture shows us this pattern over and over: - Faith first… then sight. - Faith first… then the Red Sea parts. - Faith first… then we pick up our mat and walk. - Faith first… and it’s counted to us as righteousness, like Abraham. The world says, “Show me, then I’ll trust you.” God says, “Trust Me, and then you’ll truly see.” Believing is seeing—seeing Jesus for who He really is.
The risen Jesus opens our eyes!
I think about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were confused, sad, and disappointed. They thought it was all over. Jesus walked with them, but they didn’t recognize Him. Their eyes were “restrained.” He opened the Scriptures to them—Moses and all the prophets—and explained how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and then enter His glory. They still didn’t realize who He was… until He broke bread with them. In that moment, their eyes were opened. He vanished, and they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us…?” That’s how God works. We don’t get it at first. We’re slow to believe. But as we listen, as we walk with Him, as we open our hearts to try to understand, suddenly the lights go on. Our hearts burn. We realize: “It’s Him. It’s been Him all along.”
Believing is seeing.
Then there’s our friend, Doubting Thomas. “I won’t believe unless I see”! The other disciples told him … hey, “We’ve seen the Lord!” Thomas basically said: “Nope. Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, Jesus appears. Doors locked. He stands in their midst and says what He always says when He shows up to our mess: “Peace to you.” Then He turns to Thomas: “Reach your finger here… look at My hands… put your hand into My side. Do not be unbelieving but believing.” Thomas, the skeptic, doesn’t argue. He doesn’t make excuses. He simply says: “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That’s us. We haven’t seen Him with our physical eyes. But we have eyewitness accounts—hundreds of men and women who saw Him, touched Him, ate with Him after He rose. Their lives were changed, and many died rather than deny what they knew was true. Believing their testimony is not blind faith. It’s reasonable faith. When we believe, God opens our spiritual eyes.
Who Jesus really is:
Jesus didn’t come to rope you into a religion. He came to bring you into a relationship with Himself—by your own free will. The whole Bible is a love story: God reaching out to people who’ve gone their own way, through the central person of Jesus Christ. We’ve all missed the mark. We’ve all sinned—whether in thought, word, or deed. Big sins, little sins, secret sins. It all separates us from a Holy God. But John 3:16 tells us why God did something about it: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Why is it to “just believe”? Why so simple? Because it’s based on His love, not our goodness. Not “I earned it.” Not “God’s so lucky to have me on His team.” It’s “God … SO LOVED…” He loves us – He loves you! I think the only way I finally grasped this kind of love - was to think of my own children and now my Grandchildren. I love them – so much – I would do anything for them. I think you’d agree … as a parent or grandparent, you’d do anything for your child. You’d run in front of a moving train if you had to - to save them. Wouldn't you sacrifice yourself? Jesus, God in the flesh, stepped off of His throne and into time – and took your sin on Himself at the cross. He paid your debt in full. Then He rose from the dead to give you - and all who would believe in Him - a new life. If ... you accept His sacrifice as payment for your own sin. That’s who He really is: Lord and Savior, God with us—Emmanuel.
The Two Thieves!
We see in Luke 23 … the two thieves on their crosses, same distance from Jesus – same opportunity to see, but two different responses. I think this is the clearest picture of how all people respond to Jesus. Two criminals - - One mocked: “If You’re really the Christ, save Yourself and us.” That’s the voice of unbelief: “Prove it.” - The other thief rebuked him: “Do you not even fear God? … We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” That second thief – got it right and recognized two things:
1. Who he was: guilty and deserving judgment.
2. Who Jesus was: innocent, righteous, more than a man—Lord and King.
So with that … he turned to Jesus and said: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” That’s believing faith. Saving faith! Hanging on a cross, with nothing else to offer but his need, he believed Jesus had a kingdom beyond that moment—and that Jesus could bring him in and save him. He recognized who Jesus was and what He was able to do. Jesus answered: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” One thief rejected. One thief believed. Same distance from Christ. Same opportunity. Two eternities. The difference? Your heart.
God has been tapping on the door of our hearts – throughout our life (a life He gave us by the way) … Which heart are you? Shut tight - or willing to open to take a peek at love's gentle tapping?
Sooner or later, every one of us has to face life’s most important question: “Am I ready to meet my Maker?” Am I ready to face the truth? Statisticians agree - 100% of all humans will one day die.
Rome wasn’t ready. The Pharisees weren’t ready. The skeptics weren’t ready. But the Bible tells us clearly how to be ready. Romans 10:9-10 NIV says: “If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Two things here:
1. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord- not just a nice teacher. Not just a religious figure. But as Thomas saw Him ... "My Lord—and my God".
2. Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. That His resurrection is real—He truly conquered death.
Verse 13 sums it up: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Everyone. That includes you. Not .... “you might be,” not “we’ll see.”
But definitively ... You will be safe ... saved!
Today, not “someday”
Maybe you’ve said in your heart, like I once did, “Someday I’ll get right with God. Just… not today.” Unfortunately - “Someday” is not on the calendar. The Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation.” Maybe you’ve never trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Maybe you did once, but you’ve drifted, gone your own way, living like He’s far when you know He isn’t. Running out of time? Today is a good day to come to Him… or to come back to Him. I’m going to share a simple prayer here. There’s no magic in these words. What matters is your heart. You can pray this silently where you are. If you want to receive Jesus as your King and Savior today -pray this prayer …
‘Lord, I confess I haven't always done the right thing ... I’ve fallen short (whether in my thoughts, words, or deeds) - I have sinned. – ‘I’ve gone my own way. Now though - I turn to You. I believe You are God. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose again. Please forgive me, save me, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to lead a better life and follow You from this day forward. I pray this In Jesus’ name, amen.’”
If you prayed that prayer (and sincerely meant it – (like that one thief on the cross), whether for the first time or the first time in a long time, God hears your heart. On the authority of His Word, you are forgiven. You are His. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
Don’t try to walk this out alone. You weren’t meant to. Find a good, Bible-based church family. Let others help you grow. If you’re close by, we’d be blessed to walk with you. (If you have any questions on any of this - please reach out to me in the comments section or email through our website contact form - and I'll be in touch).
Easter is not just a once a year holiday. It’s a fact that changes everything: It’s why we celebrate and say … “He is Risen”. When you believe in Him, your eyes are opened, and as you walk with Him - you begin to see who He really is: A God who loves you – Jesus Christ- God with us. Emmanuel! Happy Easter. Happy Resurrection Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Bob
HOPE Blog ... Pastor Bob DeFelice
Sometimes random - sometimes not - some things I think - measured against scripture.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
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