Ken Ham vs Bill Nye

Bill Nye Debates Ken Ham

Live Streaming FREE on Feb. 4 at 7 PM ET - 6 PM CT

"Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern, scientific era? Leading creation apologist and bestselling Christian author Ken Ham is joined at the Creation Museum by, Emmy Award-winning science educator and CEO of the Planetary Society, Bill Nye."

A live feed (will go live at time of event) will be shown below, or you can watch it at:

DebateLive

 

Eternity is coming...

 

What Is The Gospel?

The Gospel is God's

good news to mankind. In fact, the word gospel means "good news." But before I tell you the good news, let's get the bad news out of the way. This way you'll appreciate the Gospel even more.

The Bad News: You're a sinner. Don't believe me? Take the good person test and see how you do.

You see, the bottom line is, God is holy. He has given us laws to live by and, at the end of history, He will judge us by those laws. So the question you have to ask yourself is, are you good enough to pass God's law?

Most of us know, without having to take a test, that we have sinned at one point or another. In fact, Romans 3:23 makes it clear that we have. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard" (NLT).

Which brings me to the really bad news. All it takes is breaking one of God's laws and you become a law breaker. James 2:10 "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws" (NLT).

This results in both our physical death (Romans 5:12), as well as our spiritual death (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible also makes it clear that if you die in your sins, you will spend eternity in hell (Matthew 25:46).

Where's the good news?

At this point, it may seem like all hope is lost. That there is no way you can make it to heaven. In all honesty, you are correct. All of us deserve punishment because we are all criminals, we have all broken God's law. But God, rich in mercy, has made a way!

Jesus, the Father's own Son (John 3:16), came to earth. He was born of a virgin, and lived a perfect life. He never sinned. Yet, He died a criminals death on the cross, taking the punishment that we deserve! 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ" (NLT).

Now the choice is yours. You can either choose to pay the fine yourself, which means eternal hell. Or, you can put your trust in Jesus and what He did for you and turn away from the sins that separate you from God (Matthew 3:2). If you do that, you have God's promise that you will be saved. Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (NLT).

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

Genius - The Movie

 

The Seed Of Salvation

Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Luke 8:8 (NLT)

We are all sinners, (Romans 5:12). We're born in sin, (Psalm 51:5), and we are, by our very nature, "children of wrath," (Ephesians 2:2-3). Through the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered into this world and corrupted it (Romans 5:12–21). But, by the grace of God, we are not left without hope. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can find forgiveness and mercy and have all our sins washed away by His cleansing blood on the cross (Isaiah 1:18). All we have to do is confess our sins, (1 John 1:9), repent of them, (Acts 3:19), and place our faith and trust in Christ, (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus bore our sins on the cross, (1 Peter 2:24), so that we will die to sin and live to righteousness. We become a new creation, (2 Corinthians 5:17), justified by faith (Romans 5:1). The Holy Spirit indwells us (Romans 8:11) and continues to work in us to bring about sanctification (Romans 15:16).

In Luke 8, Jesus tells us a parable of a farmer scattering seed. The seed is the Gospel being preached and the different types of soil represents the hearer. Out of those who hear the message preached, only one of the four soils will produce a crop, while the rest, due to one reason or another, will walk away.

So how do we know what type of soil we are?

Out of the four types of soil, three of them represent the false convert while the fourth represents the soundly saved.

➢ The first seed in verse 5 is the easiest to spot. This person will hear the Gospel and walk away unchanged.

➢ The second seed in verse 6 represents someone who hears the Gospel and initially receives it with joy. But as soon as temptation strikes they become disinterested and walk away.

➢ The third seed in verse 7 receives the Gospel but after a time they turn back to the pursuits and passions of the world and walk away.

As you can see, the first three seeds have the same thing in common. The false convert will eventually walk away if death doesn't take them first. It doesn't matter how long you've been "in the faith" either. If you walk away, you show yourself to be a false convert.

➣ However, once the seed is planted in good soil, it will continue to grow and mature because the soundly saved have the perfect gardener, the Holy Spirit, tending it. This is the true test of salvation. If you are continuing to grow in your relationship with God, continuing to repent of your sins, becoming more sensitive to your sins, growing in your knowledge of God and His Word, then you can have assurance in your salvation. Philippians 1:6 says, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."NLT

The problem is in not caring if you sin. When you are saved, the Holy Spirit brings conviction, John 16:8, so if you're not being convicted of your iniquity, then you need to worry, seek God, and repent. Only those who were not saved to begin with will walk away, 1 John 2:19, while the soundly saved will never walk away from Christ, John 10:28.

So which soil are you?

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: One and Two

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?

There are a good amount of people who have come across, or have had a visit from, a Jehovah's witness. Most simply tell them that their not interested and close the door, or walk away. But have you ever wondered who they are? Whether or not they are a Christian organization? If you have, then watch the below video will help. Mat Slick, who is the president of CARM, answers those questions.

 

Here is one more video that will give you an overview of their beliefs. It's great to stay informed on the various cults. That way, the next time a witness comes knocking, you can be prepared.

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

The Beauty Of Marriage

My wife and I have been married for just over seventeen years now. But if you ask me, it seems like it was only yesterday that we said our vows before God, our families, and our friends. I cherish every moment I have with her and I am beyond thankful to God for bringing us together and making us co-heirs (1 Peter 3:7) of eternal life. Marriage is beautiful in itself, but it can also be a reflection for others to see what a proper relationship with God is like. That's why this is going to be broken up into two posts. This post is going to take a look at the gift of marriage, while the second post will look at how marriage glorifies God.

Lets take a look at Genesis 2:18;

"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.'”(NLT)

What is so striking to me is the fact that at the conclusion of the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:31), God surveyed all that He had made and declared it to be good. Everything was perfect except one thing... man was alone. It's the first thing that God declared was "not good" in all of creation. Adam had perfect fellowship with God, work in the garden, and plenty of animals to tend to, but he had no one he could relate to. God knew that Adam needed that special someone, a "helper", to make him whole. While it may look like an oversight, you can rest assure, God had planned this before He even started creation. After all, God is omniscient and nothing takes Him by surprise. Let's continue reading;

"So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him." Genesis 2:19-20 (NLT)

There's no denying that there is a special connection we have with animals. We grow extremely attached to them over the years, some even call them their children. But a relationship with an animal can never bring us true love, companionship, or help. It's interesting to me that God brought the animals to Adam before creating Eve. It seems that God was making the point that no animal could compare to His next creation.

"So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening." Genesis 2:21 (NLT)

This is a very symbolic action, God took a rib out of the side of Adam... Notice that it was from the side, showing the equality of man and woman, not from the head as if women are superior to men, or from the foot as if men are superior to women. Remember this, it's very important and will come into play in the next post. For now, let's read on.

"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man. 'At last!' the man exclaimed. 'This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” Genesis 2:22-23 (NLT)

After all the animals passed by, Adam must have been ecstatic to see such a perfect compliment of his very being. His excitement is evident as his first recorded words are celebratory words regarding Eve, a celebration of what women bring to men.

Creating Eve from Adam is covenant in nature. It represents the union between a man and a woman. "Bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh;" bone representing strength and flesh representing weakness. This is a "sickness and in health" or a "strength and in weakness" type of vow. As we can see, the best thing that God wanted for man is woman... not another man and certainly not ourselves. The sexual union between a man and a man, or a man and himself, goes against the union God originally set for us, one man and one woman.

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24 (NASB)

"For this reason..." This is more covenant language. It is the breaking of the parental covenant between the parents and children and the making of a new covenant between a man and a woman. "Shall leave" is best represented when the Israelites would break their covenant with God, and to "be joined", is best represented as a cementing of, a for all-time type of covenant. God intended for marriage to be unbroken from the very beginning.

This next part is very strong covenant language, "and the two shall become one flesh." Until brought together by God, we are just individual parts, waiting to be made whole. This is not just talking about procreation. It's talking about solidarity. Each part of the one flesh relationship is a compliment to the other; physically, spiritually, mentally, and sexually. The other brings fulfillment to the unfulfilled and a balance to the short comings that the other might have. My wife and I like to tell each other that we love "meyou" a lot because we know that we are one, co-heirs of the promise. Marriage is a very beautiful gift from God.

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photos: My son and his new bride!

 

Obliterating The Obstacles That Keep You From Praying

I'm a school bus driver in the heart of Texas. My job requirement is to "simply" transport students safely to school and home again. I enjoy being a bus driver immensely and I'm very thankful to God for providing it. It gives me quality time with my wife, whom I love spending every moment with. It also gives me time to write, especially during the summer, and I'm not stuck behind a desk all day.

As a driver, I have been trained in defensive driving tactics that help you to be proactive on the roads instead of reactive to any given situation. I have to look ahead, to always be mindful of the various obstacles trying to stop me from getting the students to their destinations. It can be a big job trying to make sure you drive safely on the roads and pay attention to, not only the traffic, but to the kids on the bus as well. There is no room for error, and just like driving a school bus, prayer has its own sort of obstacles trying to deter us away from conversing with the Almighty. When we take the time to bring these obstacles to light, to reveal them for what they truly are, we can then take the necessary precautions against them.

One of the safety tips taught to bus drivers is the acronym IPDE which stands for;

• Identify
• Predict
• Decide
• Execute

Using this same acronym, we can also root out those nasty obstacles that are keeping us from having a devoted prayer life.

1. Identify - First we must identify the problem. Whether it's sin in our lives, distractions that make us lose focus, or we're just not quite sure how to pray... Look at what is hindering you from praying. Examine yourself to see the root cause of the problem. It might even be a need for salvation.(2 Corinthians 13:5)
2. Predict - Once you have identified the culprit you can then predict how best to avoid the problem. You will be able to know ahead of time and prepare. For example, if you know that distractions are a problem, seek an isolated place, a "prayer closet"(Matthew 6:6), so there is nothing that can come between you and the Father.
3. Decide - Now that the problem has been identified and the plan of action has been put together, you must make a conscious decision to pray. To want to pray is easy, it takes no effort at all. But to actually set your mind to pray is altogether different.(Colossians 4:2)
4. Execute - Now it's time to put everything into action and pray. The best thing you can do as a Christian is to read God's Word and to pray! Make it a daily habit. I like Ray Comfort's morning motto. "Don't feed until you read and don't play before you pray." These are words to live by!

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo: Source

 

Peace in the storms of life!

I read this story a number of years ago. It was a real blessing to me back then and I hope it blesses you now.

"A farmer on the Atlantic seacoast constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of the awful storms that wreaked havoc on the buildings and crops. One applicant for the job was a short, thin man, well past middle age.

“Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him.

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well and kept busy from dawn to dusk. The farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. He hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally and practically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

Christian, we secure ourselves against the storms of life by soaking ourselves with the Word of God, being obedient to it and by placing our faith and trust in God. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of our storms."

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo sources:

One

Two

Three

 

Where Did The Time Go?

Over this past couple of weeks, my son got married. It was a joyous time and a perfect day for it. The sun was shining and there wasn't even a hint of a storm cloud on the horizon. I was the best man and my wife was the photographer, two very important jobs when it comes to weddings. I am so happy for him and my new daughter as they begin their own journey into marriage.

I've heard it said that it seems like our kids grow up so fast and honestly, I thought they were crazy. There seemed to be plenty of time to do all the things we wanted to do, the future was bright and endless. But that's changed now that I'm older. Now I see what they mean and I guess my son will have to deal with hearing me say the same thing when he, God willing, has children of his own.

So what happened? Where did all that time go? I mean, either senility is already kicking in and I'm losing memories, or I was foolish in my thinking. When we are young we see our days as though we will live forever, but that is a mirage only youthful eyes can see. As we age, we come face to face with our own mortality and those youthful eyes dim with clarity. For those of us who live long enough, wisdom slips in and blocks out the ignorance of youth. For some, this is a time when we hit a mid-life crisis. We try to fight off the aging process and run around with reckless abandon, acting as though we are still in the prime of our lives. Of course, we only make fools of ourselves and, in time, we may come to our senses. But somehow, this makes sense to the walking dead. Those who have not placed their trust in Christ and repented of their sins have no hope after this life so this is all they have and if I were in their place, I too would be scared of aging. But I'm not in their place.

As Christians, we should welcome this new found wisdom and embrace it. Look at what the Psalmist says;

Psalm 39:4-5(ESV) “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah"

This is a prayer I aim to memorize and claim as my own. I don't want my life to pass by without doing the things that matter most. I would rather my "mid-life" crisis be spent seeking after God, and telling those around me about the precious Gospel of Christ, rather than wasting time on frivolous pursuits. While I'm alive there is work to be done! "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21(ESV)

Interestingly, Moses asked for the same thing in Psalm 90:12;

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."(ESV)

I now see the wisdom in knowing that this life will pass away like a mist, James 4:14, and I don't want every opportunity that God gives me to dissipate in the same way. By acknowledging our limited life here on earth we are not giving up, as some would reason, we are only showing true wisdom and can make the most of the time we do have for the glory of God.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

How Can We Pray Without Ceasing?

Which of these best describes your prayer life?

A. Active duty: you are committed to praying everyday.

B. The weekend warrior: you pray on Sunday's and before meals.

C. The captive: you pray when you need something.

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing..." So how does your prayer life look now? Intimidated? So was I until I stumbled across something that really opened my eyes to this text. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary reads,

"The Greek is, 'Pray without intermission'; without allowing prayerless gaps to intervene between the times of prayer."

To pray without intermission is to open up our lives, completely, to our Father. Imagine it like this; instead of giving you a telephone to communicate or a camera to share snapshots of your life, He is giving you a camcorder with a live feed. He's asking you to share, not just the beautiful snapshots that a camera would bring, or the occasional phone call, but every aspect of your life.

Beloved, this is most encouraging! God, our Father, wants to be a part of every aspect of your life. Of course, you could say that He already is. After all, He is omniscient and omnipresent right?

Dear Saint, this is so much more than that. He's wanting you to have a relationship with Him, one that is constant and engaging, unfettered by distraction. But if we're honest with ourselves our relationship with God often resembles a phone call that a parent receives from their college kid wanting money.

most of us would admit that our time with God is, at best, like a parent down the street and at worst, like a long distance relationship that we call on only when we feel required to or in need of something.

Our Father wants so much more than that. He's wanting us to share our hobbies, our friends and family, He wants us to share everything with Him. To pray without intermission is to have Him on your mind throughout the day. When excitement comes, look up, smile and know that He is there. When heartache and pain occurs, close your eyes and be comforted with the assurance that He is there right beside you.

Yes, this also means that He will be on your mind when temptation strikes. When sin occurs. When you are at your worst. Beloved, do not fear, He already knows of your failures, your weaknesses, and your sins. This is not a negative thing, for when we feel He is near, we will be less inclined to betray Him in sin. Remember, He is conforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Also keep in mind that there is not a sin hidden from His eyes (Hebrews 4:13, Proverbs 15:3). We should not try to hide ourselves from God, but diligently seek to rid ourselves of everything that is contrary to Him and His will (1 Thessalonians 5:22). This is evidence to our salvation. If we are saved, everything in our life will be heading in the direction of bringing glory to God (1 John). If that's not the case, then we need to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

It is a conscious effort to always have God at the forefront in our minds. I encourage you to take this Scripture this week and run with it. Every thing you do, do it with the knowledge that God is with you. Make a devoted effort to include Him into every event, no matter how small. If your engaged in a hobby of some kind, show it to God like you would a spouse or parent. God is the ultimate designer, artist, story teller, and He created you with a talent for you to display and share with Him. Show Him, so He can show you how proud He is of you. And if you find yourself doing something that you feel God doesn't want to be a part of, cut it. It's better to enter heaven without it (Mark 9:43-47).

Finally beloved, tell me your story. How has God blessed you in prayer this week? Are there questions about prayer that we can seek an answer to? I will do everything I can to answer it, or connect you with someone who can. Don't forget to sign up to the blog. There are several ways you can do that, from email to rss feed. You can find all of these in the right hand column.

Until next time, may the God of mercy bless you and I pray this week you will find yourself inseparable from the Father who loves you dearly.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

Is Chick-Fil-A Wrong?

There is a major controversy in the news right now concerning the comments of Dan Cathy, President of Chick-Fil-A. In an interview with the Biblical Recorder, reported by K. Allan Blume, Mr. Cathy states;

Dan Cathy

"We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. We operate as a family business … our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that. We intend to stay the course. We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

Can you see the intolerance in the above quote? Neither can I.

But there is a growing number of individuals who consider Cathy's statement both intolerant and anti-gay and are calling for a boycott of the popular fast food chain. In fact, both Boston's Mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, have made public statements saying that Chic-Fil-A is not welcome in their towns and that they would do everything they can to keep them out. On top of that, the Jim Henson Company has not only broken its agreement to sell their toys in their kids meals, but in a statement from the company, Lisa Henson, a strong supporter of gay marriage has, "directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD.”

I would like to point out that the Henson Company no longer owns the rights to Sesame Street, which is owned by the Sesame Workshop, or the Muppets who were bought out by the the Walt Disney Company in 2004. However, the Jim Henson Company maintains ownership of the Fraggle Rock franchise.

The LGBT movement and the so called "Tolerant" movement have been gaining ground since companies like General Mills, Target, and Home Depot, have come out of the closet in support of same sex marriage. The news media has only fueled the fire by helping to mislead the public with headlines like...

Yahoo News: "Chick-fil-A president slams gay marriage"

Los Angeles Times: "Is Chick-fil-A anti-gay marriage? 'Guilty as charged,' leader says"

NY Daily News: "Chick-Fil-A: A-OK with being anti-gay, says prez"

Entertainment News: "Muppets Dump Chick-fil-A Over Anti-Gay Stance"

In recent interviews with K. Allan Blume, the reporter has stated, "I don't understand why that's a bad thing all of a sudden. It was not an anti-gay statement. It was a pro-family statement." He also mentioned that the term "anti-gay" never came up. In fact, Blume said that during the interview, Cathy also stated, "We're a business that serves the public, all people are welcomed into Chick-fil-A, and frankly we do not feel called to weigh in on a lot of social activism that's taking place as it relates to the definition of the family, but we do definitely want to encourage strong families."

It would appear that the only group that is being intolerant are those bashing the Chick-Fil-A company and its family values as bigotry. Bigotry is defined as: “stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own.”

Saints, this is a call to prayer. We need to pray for Chick-Fil-A; the organization, its owners, and its employees. They are in for a rough and rocky road and they will need all the prayer they can get. We should be praying for them to stand strong in the face of this opposition and for the safety of all those involved with this godly company.

This is also a call for action. While the "Tolerant" and LGBT groups are calling for a boycott, we should show our support by frequenting Chick-Fil-A. Get on Facebook and Twitter and voice your support. While the Bible declares that this is exactly what is going to be happening in the end days (2 Timothy 3:1-7), it doesn't mean that we should sit idly by and allow the freedom to choose our family values be taken from us. Let's speak out the truth of God's Word, in love, and proclaim His Gospel to a lost and dying world.

What do you think? Voice your opinion by leaving a quote below.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

On the road to Emmaus

This is such an Amazing passage. The lessons, the implications to prayer, the overall wisdom that can be seen by these two disciples is astonishing. I'm really wanting to dig into this passage and learn all I can. So here goes!

"And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them." Luke 24:13-15 (NASB)

 

Okay, let's get some background first. These two disciples are traveling away from Jerusalem to Emmaus after Jesus' death. They are worried and heart broken over the fact that the man they thought was going to be crowned king has died. Even though their dreams are dashed, they can't stop talking about it.

Now, I wonder if these two disciples weren't so fixated over Jesus, discussing everything that went on, would He have paid them a visit? By being so distracted by my own frivolous, worldly things, how much have I missed out on. That's the first lesson I see in this passage. I need to make sure that I'm not too earthly minded and miss out on what God is wanting to show me! It's too easy to get side tracked and distracted from keeping my focus on God and my focus needs to be on Him! (Matthew 6:33) (2 Corinthians 10:5)

"But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad." Luke 24:16-17 (NASB)

This is an interesting point. Why would they have been prevented from recognizing Jesus? First off, they didn't understand the Scriptures clearly, as we will see in a moment, and they were sad over the fact of Jesus' death. His appearing to them would have changed all of that. But I wonder if it's not due to their ignorance that Jesus remained hidden from them. Would they have trully understood? They didn't have a clear view of who Jesus really was. But their ignorance, nor their sadness, didn't keep them from sharing about Jesus...

"One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” Luke 24:18 (NASB)

Clearly Jesus' death was a big thing. They couldn't understand the ignorance of this stranger. How could he not know what happened? So Cleopas fills him in on the events, including their own ignorance of the Scriptures...

"And He said to them, 'What things?' And they said to Him, 'The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” Luke 24:19-24 (NASB)

Even though it was politically incorrect, they told a complete stranger which side they were on. Jesus' death placed any one who was on His side at risk of being a collaborator and Cleopas made no bones about it. They were hoping Jesus was going to restore Israel. That meant they saw Him as the prophesied Messiah. At this point, I have to wonder, again, if the disciples had just glanced at Jesus shrugged and kept going, would they have missed outt on being one of the first to see the resurrected Jesus? Fear of being a collaborator should have kept them quite about the events. But they shared anyway and were rewarded with a great blessing. Jesus was about to explain to them the Scriptures!

"And He said to them, 'O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?' Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." Luke 24:25-27 (NASB)

What an opportunity! Jesus was revealing to them all the Scriptures that pertained to His death and resurrection. I can't imagine what that would have been like. God, the messiah, was tutoring them on the very Scriptures that were prophesied thousands of years in advanced, that spoke of Him and all He would accomplish for us. Now, for us, the Holy Spirit brings that wisdom to us. But I can't imagine a face to face encounter with the living God, explaining what He wrote. That would be a truly great blessing. Because these two disciples were so open, and bold, they were able to have just such a blessing.

"And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, 'Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.' So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight." Luke 24:28-31 (NASB)

Here is a great lesson to be learned. To the two disciples, this was just a stranger. One who knew the Scriptures but a stranger none the less. ANd again this is another place where had they not insisted upon this stranger staying, they would have missed out on a blessing. That seems to be the overall theme of this passage. How many blessing have I missed out on? How many times have I been just at a point where God could have shown me something to change my whole world... and I was too busy, or too focused on other things? Psalms 46:10 says;

“Be still, and know that I am God..."




It doesn't get any clearer than that! Looking through this event, I'm amazed at all the opportunities that these two disciples didn't miss. My prayer is to not miss out either.

"They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread." Luke 24:32-35 (NASB)

Once Jesus revealed Himself and disappeared, everything became clear. They just witnessed a miracle greater than they had seen Jesus perform yet. They had seen the risen Lord Himself! What a huge blessing for them, and what great lessons for us.

I believe we can learn another lesson from this passage as well;

We are all on the road to Emmaus. Where along that road will depend on where in your relationship with Christ you are...

Are you at the beginning of the journey? You know about Christ and His death but your not quite sure what it means to you?

Or are you at a place where you know why He died but have yet to insist on Him staying awhile?

Or have you come to the truth and have seen Jesus in all His glory? You have placed your trust in Him and have repented of your sins...

If you are at the beginning or middle of the journey, check out this website NeedGod for help.