Why Wont You Believe?

Are you like the 2 disciples walking on the road to Emmaus? Are you also slow to hear the word of God and believe?

Luke chapter 24:13-23

On the road to Emmaus

....As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him...."

"...In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

What do you believe the Lord will have to do to get you realize that He is real, that He loves you, and that He wants to claim you as His own?

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scripture to us?”

He has been calling for you from the moment you were born right up until now. He knows all the things you have had to endure in this life, and He has been there right with you, encouraging you and strengthening you. you were not aware why you felt better when that person betrayed you, or why you had the courage to fight when your enemies tried to destroy you, or why you chose to live and not die when your heart was broken. He has been whispering sweet words of love and encouragement into your heart, and you thought you survived because of your family, or your spouse, or your friends.

Surely, the Lord puts people into your life to help you and to encourage you, but He is the source of pure love in this universe. All good things, lovely and sweet, majestic and bold, tender and caring, comes from Him. When you hear that call from my God, do not ignore it, don't dismiss it as your imagination, answer Him and let Him into your heart.

Why didn't Jesus's disciples believe that He had risen from the dead? Why were they so blind?

Being human sometimes means being near sighted, not just physically but also spiritually. I was born with weak eyes, and so from a very early age, I wore glasses. I was not completely blind, I could still see images, and places, and people, but those images were always blurry. I would have to get really close to the tv to see the picture clearly, or bring a piece of paper close to my eyes to see the words written there, so I know what it means to see, yet not truly be able to see things clearly.

If you are not aware that you have a problem seeing things clearly, you will believe that everything in your life is just fine. You may also have a feeling in the back of your mind, in your heart that there should be 'something' more, you just don't know what the 'something' is.

In the bible, there are many instances where the people of God had doubts; they had trouble believing what was plainly told to them by the prophets or by God Himself. Even when God gave them proof of His existence in their circumstances and with His Word, they were slow to believe.

luke 23:32-43

...Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left...

...One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise...”

This was the most precious day in the life of Jesus Christ, for this was the reason why He was born, to sacrifice Himself for you and for me, so that we may be called Children of the Most High, and be forgiven for our sins...((song)"....For The Blood Of Jesus Restoreth My Soul...."). While Jesus laid on the cross, He accepted another precious child into His Kingdom. This person chose to believe in Him and give his heart to Him, a criminal, convicted justly for his crimes, and on his way to hell; but he had an encounter with The Lamb Of God, and this changed his whole perspective on life.

There were two criminals laying on their crosses next to Jesus, yet only one saw the truth. Why is that?

Both were dying and both were going to the same place when they breathed their last breath, but only one was willing to take that chance, to dare to believe in the One who was pierced. Now, you would think that when Jesus told one criminal He would be saved, that the other one would start to believe as well, or at least would ask Jesus what this whole salvation thing was all about, but He did not.

Unfortunately, that is how life is; one person knows within the deepest part of their being that there is a God, and they seek Him out, looking for the One that made them and desiring a relationship with Him; and another person does not care if there is a God, and would never seek Him out no matter what type of evidence or proof you lay before them. This is why the Lord already knows who will believe in Him and who will receive Him; He knows the contents of everyone's hearts and minds; there are no secrets in heaven because there is no need to hide who you truly are. That is where true peace and love can exist because no one has a secret agenda that will disrupt other people's lives or God's perfect peace and order.

If you had evidence of His existence, would you believe?

Jesus spent 3 years in His ministry, traveling all over Judea and Galilee, preaching the world of God to the lost sheep of Israel, doing miracles, healings, signs and wonders, proving the Word of God with His works, His deeds, and His testimonies, but most of the people of God rejected Him.

John 10:31-39

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?"

"Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.....

The truth is that there is evidence all around us that God exists; scientists know that the world, the universe, our very bodies were designed, and that our existence could not be by chance. They talk about other dimensions, and dark matter, and the "God" particle, so they are aware that something has been going on since the dawn of time, they are just unwilling to believe that their fate is in the hands of another, an all powerful God whose wisdom and power comes from pure love, grace, and mercy, and not from pride, prejudice, or obsessions. They want to believe they have the power to do anything that they want, and to remold this universe into their own image. Everything that we have, and who we are comes from God, and He has been gracious and merciful to us while we waste time indulging in our fantasies of self determination.

The bible speaks about how Moses led the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, and how they had to live in the wilderness for 40 years because they rebelled against God, and did not truly believe in Him. They saw what God did for them; He ravaged Egypt for their sakes, walked them through the Red sea, and took care of all their needs while they wandered in the desert. They saw things that would shock and amaze us, but it wasn't enough to change their minds or give their hearts to God.

In Psalm 78:10-11, 40-42, 56-57, the psalmist mentions that Ephraim (meaning Israel at large)did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them. . . . How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the influence of the Holy One of Israel on their lives. They did not remember His power. . . . Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully.

It is always a pleasure to find evidence of the word of God in our daily lives and in the lives of others, when science and archaeology confirms what we have always known through our study of the bible, but these things will never convince the people in the world that are not looking for this evidence, and who believe they have no need for God in their lives. That doesn't mean that we should stop proclaiming the gospel to the world, for there will come a day when their faith in themselves will be shaken, and just possibly they will start to look for a solution to their problems, to the world's problems from outside of their own perspectives.

Why doesn't the world in general seek answers from the Lord?

They don't want to believe that the solution should come from the One who created the world in the first place, or they worship 'gods' that they believe have all the answers to their problems. Often pride prevents them from letting go of ideas they fostered in their own hearts, even while these same ideas are destroying them from the inside out. They can find no satisfaction with the lives that they have made for themselves and at the same time they will never allow themselves to be satisfied with the truth.

Luke 7:31-35

Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.’


For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Finally, what will it take for you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Many people believe God is cold and distant, that He does not care about us or the world's problems; some can not believe He could be concerned enough to intervene on our behalf, to save us from ourselves. They wonder, does He know what is going on in the world, does He have a plan for our salvation?

Luke 19:41-44

Jesus crying over Jerusalem

...As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

This is how God sees us, He is grieved by the problems in the world, He weeps for those who will not listen to Him, who will not come to be healed by His presence and His word; He has a solution for your problems; it is the Lord Jesus Christ. If you will come to Him and confess your sins and allow Him into your heart, you will be saved and He will protect you from the coming storm on the horizon; the people of this world will soon find out how fragile and precious life really is, when everything that they have worked for suddenly disappears or is destroyed, by war, neglect, pride, and greed.

If you wish to know the God of Heaven, He is waiting for you right now - repeat this prayer:

Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).

I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)

I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).

I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).

If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN