Jason Hooper: Gimme Yo Thomas! Get Rid of Doubt and Unbelief and Let the Lord Come in a New Way On the morning of May 21, 2014, I was given a powerful prophetic dream in which two of our present-day prophetic fathers were preparing a platform for The Healer to be released. These two prophetic pillars have in many ways pioneered the coming together of multiple prophetic streams into a pure river that has brought with it an increased understanding and a present-day illumination and application of previous and present promises to the Body and Bride of Christ; in this way it has positioned the Church to recognize and embrace an end-time healing mandate and ministry. Although in the natural the building in which this dream took place was torn down several years ago, I found myself in this dream at the Fairgrounds Arena located in Birmingham, Alabama. This building, of course, for many who are familiar with the Voice of Healing Revivals of the 1950s, was made famous as the auditorium where Brother A.A. Allen hosted a miracle meeting where a young boy from Knoxville, Tennessee, had been miraculously healed of 26 different major illnesses. In this dream, an invitation was given just prior to the beginning of the miracle ministry portion of the service. As the invitation was given, the words spoken were tangible and weighty, and as they left the mouth of the one prophesying they formed a large golden arch in mid-air made up of 13 letters, spelling: GIMME YO THOMAS! Excuses and Offense As the invitation was given, people began to storm the altar with what were obvious expressions of relief which gave way to joy on their faces and hope that had given way to faith in their hearts as they began to throw obvious signs of physical hindrances onto the altar; followed by lesser obvious tokens of emotional and spiritual obstacles, such as handwritten excuses that carried the pains and disappointments of their past. (Photo via Freeimages) These handwritten excuses carried with them an obvious air of offense as they represented the current conditions of their faith and how their faith had become conditional over the years (the offense was on the excuse, NOT on the individual). As I was greeting many of these precious saints, I began to see how these excuses over the years had limited their willingness to believe in something they had not personally seen with their eyes, heard with their ears, and touched with their hands. In response to the testimony of his fellow disciples in John 20:25, if you remember, it was Thomas who had communicated unmet conditions of his faith in correlation to the lack in his personal willingness to believe: The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. So he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. While it is an admirable desire to seek to see the Lord and touch the Lord for oneself, Thomas posture was one of doubt and unbelief until he could see what they saw as opposed to believing in what they saw until he could then see himself. Oftentimes, celebrating and embracing what another sees or hears is a Kingdom key to us seeing and hearing as well. Thankfully, the grace of the Lord Jesus came to Thomas eight days later, revealing Himself to Thomas with an invitation for encounter, but He did so with both a gentle rebuke for Thomas and a continued invitation for you and me to encounter Him today. In a New Way On a New Day And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace to you! Then He said to Thomas, Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. John 20:26-29 (Photo via Wikimedia Commons) We know that the number eight speaks of new beginnings prophetically, as the number seven speaks of perfection or the completion of whats been. Why was it that Jesus waited until the eighth day to come to Thomas? Why was it important to note that the doors were shut when the disciples once again found the Lord in their midst? Could it be that, after seven days of continually hearing what the others had seen, Thomas was having a personal faith crisis greater than what John records in this short passage, and had begun to resent the testimonies of the others? Could it be that hearing the testimony of his fellow disciples had taken such a toll on him emotionally? Could it be that his personal disappointment in not being there to see with the others, and what they had seen, had grown beyond disappointment into a place of discouragement – which was giving way to a personal shame and guilt, fueled by the accuser of the brethren, over having not been there and missing out on a day of visitation? Its possible, but let us both learn the lesson and importance of being present while embracing the endless grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ to come again in a new way and on a new day; just like when Thomas had quite possibly come to what had begun to feel like a dead-end and a closed door in the place of his personal faith and the fulfillment of what had been promised to him personally at a time when it appeared that everyones promise but his was coming to pass. Gimme Yo Thomas - What Does It Mean? What does it mean practically for you and me to give our Thomas to the Lord? What characteristics did Thomas possess that often find themselves into our hearts and our prophetic pathway right at our moment of breakthrough? This call to GIMME YO THOMAS is an invitation to: give to the Lord all of the conditions that we have personally put on the Lord. And we may have said these conditions must be met in our own lives, and in our timing and understanding. We may have conditions that must be met before we are willing to believe the testimonies of what others have seen, heard and touched in the Lord for themselves. Oftentimes it is the celebration, thanksgiving and honor we carry in our hearts for the testimonies and breakthroughs of others that become our personal door of invitation and long awaited encounter as well. This door is often shut when doubt and unbelief impede our ability to discern the door of invitation and opportunity in our midst. For some, the invitation to give up your Thomas could apply to giving to the Lord those things that have caused you to be pre-occupied, leading to double-mindedness. For others, it may be more about giving to the Lord the disappointments of your past that have led to present doubt that keep you from entering into the fulfillment of what you have been promised. Thomas was one of Jesus chosen disciples. In many ways, he was a hero of the faith – but in some ways, he allowed what his natural eyes had not seen and his natural mind could not receive to rob him of the beauty of the One he desired to see the most. Remember, Jesus invitation to the thirsty in John 7:37-38 was Come to Me and drink... (receive freely without reservation). It was not Come to Me and think. Although God has given us a sound mind, there are times in our life where we are simply invited to freely receive what He is freely giving to us without having to have all the ends meet in our natural mind before we receive what He is wanting to give. This is an area where many of us might have a Thomas to give as well. Now, lets take a brief look at some examples from the life of Thomas and see what other understanding can be gleaned from this invitation: Being Present... Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. John 20:24 The lesson and importance of being present has given birth to a godly desire matched by a faithful and longstanding commitment in the hearts of many fiery young revivalists like that of Evan Roberts, who had committed personally to never miss a potential opportunity for divine visitation. These soon-to-be fiery witnesses and bright, shining lamps instead purposed in their hearts to seek that they may find: that which their heart desired and that which they had been personally promised by the Spirit of God. (Photo via Freeimages) In this posture of faithful pursuit, they not only found what they had sought, but they also encountered the presence and person of the Lord in a way that would forever change their day, rewriting history and branding their city, region, and even their nation with the fires of long-awaited revival. Evan Roberts shared in a personal interview on December 28, 1904, the counsel he had received from William Davies in relation to the importance of pursuing an experiential knowledge of the Lord through the posture of being present some 13 years prior: For thirteen years I had prayed for the Spirit, and this is the way I was led to pray. William Davies, the deacon, said one night in the society: Remember to be faithful. What if the Spirit descended and you were absent? Remember Thomas! What a loss he had! That wisdom stuck with Evan, and whether he felt like it or not, became a motivator for him to never miss an opportunity to both privately and publicly pray in agreement with others, praise the name of the Lord that He might be enthroned in the praises of His people, and ordain strength when and where it is needed (see Psalm 22:2 & 8:2), and preach the Gospel whenever and wherever he was given an opportunity to do so. One of the greatest ways we can honor those who have gone before us is not only to imitate their faith concerning the outcome of their conduct, but to also learn from their mistakes as well. For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:4-6 ...And Of Being With Them It was said of Thomas, who was also called Twin or Didymus in the King James Version, meaning Double, that he was not with them when Jesus came. While we have already looked at this from a literal perspective and what it means to not be present with others, lets also take a moment to look at this phrase figuratively. It is written in Acts 2:1-2: When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (Photo via Flickr) The Greek word used here for with one accord can also be translated as being unanimous, having group unity, being in agreement, or having one mind and purpose. In each time this Greek word was used, it expressed a harmony of both heart and soul that led to action being taken in unity toward a common goal and in pursuit of an uncommon promise. God is writing on unity in a profound way today. As many are preparing and believing for a fresh dunamis encounter with the presence of God and the person of the Holy Spirit, it is of utmost importance that each of us find our tribe within the Body of Christ and plug in with them as each member within His Body positions themselves for Jesus to come again. Do You Feel Like Your Doors Were Shut? In this Hebrew Year 5774, the Year of The Open Door, many have found themselves in a place where they are feeling resistance in the place they have been promised breakthrough. Paul spoke to this feeling in 1 Corinthians 16:9: For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. Adversaries can simply be understood as opposing forces. It is in this place that your current circumstances attempt to masquerade themselves as your reality. For those of you who have felt like your present is contrary to your promise, the unseen realm is more real than anything you can touch with your hands. What you have seen with the eyes of your heart and choose to believe will always trump what can be seen with your natural eyes and current circumstances. This is where life lived will oftentimes attempt to speak louder than truth that has been revealed. Truth must always be the governing force and final authority in our life as to what we choose to believe. Just as Jesus told Thomas, Do not be unbelieving, but believing...Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:27b-29), believing is a choice. It was also Thomas that began to question Jesus in John 14 about the place that Jesus was going to prepare for them and the way in which they would know to go. It was in this place of potential uncertainty that Thomas focus was on what he didnt know instead of Who he did. (Photo via Pixabay) Jesus identified Himself to Thomas in this place as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thomas was leaning on his need for natural information and guidance in a way that caused him to withdraw his heart and hope from the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus had also identified Himself among His disciples and to the Pharisees as the Door (see John 10:7-10). In this Hebrew Year 5774, allow me to offer an additional interpretation other than simply opportunity given and access granted. While both of these applications are resident within this interpretation, I believe this year...the Year of the Open Door, is more about a year where we are going to see the revealing, the unveiling of the One who is the Door in a way that we have never seen before in modern Church history – Jesus Christ revealed in our midst. If you are in a situation where you feel that in this Year of the Open Door every door in your life appears to have been shut or looks to be shutting, allow me to encourage you: Jesus is about to walk into your room in a new way this new day and speak Peace to you! And when He does, you are going to see with your eyes and touch with your hands what everybody else has been talking about! How To Go From Being Double-Minded To Receiving The Double Portion A familiar saying within our Church is, People will always see what they are looking for, whether good or bad. If people are looking to find the good, they will see good in everyone and everything because they will have eyes to see God in all of creation; and in every circumstance they will be able to discover with certainty His redemptive plans and purposes, because they know without a shadow of a doubt that: ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28). (Photo via Pixabay) Thomas was called Double. There is no historical evidence that he was a twin; some Bible scholars have said it was a nickname because he consistently vacillated between two opinions or beliefs, much like a double-mind man (see James 1:5-8), but I believe there is a deeper meaning here for us. We know that Elisha received a double portion of the mantle of power that had rested upon Elijah, but his receiving was conditional. Elijah presented this condition to Elisha in 2 Kings 2:10: So he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so. Elisha had served Elijah faithfully for many years. He had walked with him; he had cleaned up after him...he had done everything there was to do to position himself to be Elijahs successor, yet it was important for him to be present when Elijah was taken. What if what was given on the Day of Pentecost was an earnest or a first fruit of what God wants to do today? What if there is a double portion available to you and to me today, but to receive what God has promised we have to lay aside our excuses, the conditions of faith, and the distractions that would keep us from being present in one accord with others who desire to see the Lord? What if the invitation to be a part of this coming miracle ministry and an end-time healing mandate began with the invitation to: GIMME YO THOMAS? Personally, I believe it has... Lets take a moment right now and ask Holy Spirit to show us if there is any place in each of us that has become Thomas-like. For those of you whom Holy Spirit has highlighted something to, lets pray right now and respond to this invitation. Lets give to the Lord any and all conditions we have placed on our personal faith – to believe for the fulfillment of what we have been promised individually, or our questioning of the testimonies of others, refusing to believe until we see for ourselves. Lets pray: Lord Jesus, I give to You any and every part of me that would hinder my willingness to receive all that You have to impart to me and show me in this season. Lord, I thank You that believing is seeing in the Kingdom and I repent this day of doubt and unbelief that I have allowed to live in my heart. Jesus, I want to see You and I ask You this New Day to reveal Yourself to me in a New Way. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:21:18 +0000
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