What Do YOU Believe? Do you know?

Do you know what you believe... about God? That’s not an unusual question. Many people are confused about religion and not really sure what they believe.

Don’t despair, there’s help. Recently, I discovered a software program that will help you determine what you believe... about God.

It’s called Belief-O-Matic. Don’t confuse this with the Chop-o-Matic... that’s the food processor that minces and chops vegetables and finely dices nuts with the push of a button. However, I do think they have a lot of similarities.

So, if YOU don't know what faith you are, Belief-O-Matic knows and will tell you. It’s easy... answer 20 questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more, and Belief-O-Matic will tell you what religion (if any) you practice...or ought to consider practicing. No joke... this tool exists! I had no idea it could be so easy to discover what I believe about God. All these years, I’ve been doing it the old fashioned way... just reading my Bible. Of course, reading a stodgy old book like the Bible is a lot more work than having a software application tell me what I believe. Belief-O-Matic is much easier, and you don’t have to invest much time to find out what you believe.

I have not personally seen this application in operation in any church I’ve attended. But I wonder... if many churches aren’t using Belief-O-Matic to instruct their members about what they should and shouldn’t believe... about God? I wonder... Okay, I am going to shift to a more serious tone.

The word “Christian and Christianity" conjure up many pictures, depending on who defines it. There are so many “interpretations” of what it is and what it means to be a “follower of Christ” that many people, even Christians, can’t explain what and why they believe what they do. No wonder Belief-O-Matic exists... it’s just easier to answer 20 questions and design the “religion” that fits you.

Most people think of “Christianity” as one of the approximately 10,000 distinct religions in the world today. They think of it as one of the top three religions in the world, along with Islam and Hinduism. Is it? Not at all.

Christianity is not a religion. It’s not about buildings, cathedrals, rules, liturgies, traditions or ceremonies. There’s really no “religion” to it. Christianity is about an authentic, genuine, true relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christian... means “follower of Christ”, a simple follower who seeks to live in harmony with Jesus Christ. Christianity is about faith from the heart in Jesus and what He did for all humanity on the cross. It’s not complex... it’s simple.

In a day when Biblical Christianity is being watered down and morphed into convenient all-inclusive lifestyle religion, it is imperative that true, born-again Christians come together and unify around the fundamentals of faith. You must know what you believe and why you believe what you believe.

Where do you turn when critics and cynics question the very existence of God and the Christian faith? When your own family and friends press you to explain the foundations of your faith, can you? Can you explain it in a way that bridges the gap between belief, understanding and the challenges of life? Trust me, Belief-O-Matic won’t help you, but God’s Word the Bible can. Here’s what the Scriptures say...

 
CONCERNING GOD
God is the Deity, the Godhead; He is composed of:
1. God the Father . . . Creator of the heaven, earth and the entire universe, of all life (Acts 17:28), and the one to whom each person must give an accounting (Acts 17:30,31).
2. God the Son –– Christ . . . Eternally divine, who is the only begotten Son of God, and Creator of heaven and earth, but who came to earth in the form of humanity (Phil. 2:5-8), to become the Atonement for the sins of mankind. (1 John 2:1-2).
3. God the Holy Spirit . . . The promised Comforter by whom was revealed to the apostles and inspired writers, the infallible and unchangeable Scriptures. (2 Peter 1:20,21).

CONCERNING CHRIST
He is the only hope of salvation for man because of His sacrificial death as an expression of Divine love and grace to become God's means to reconcile sinful man to a forgiving God. There is no other way to God, the Father (John 14:6) except through Jesus... the way, the truth, the life. Jesus has been given all authority in spiritual matters. He is worthy of all our submission and praise (Phil. 2:9-11).

CONCERNING THE BIBLE
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, authoritative and unchangeable Revelation of God. By it alone, man can be governed for the highest and noblest spiritual life and moral behavior. Reference to the scriptures cab be made in settling every religious question. A pronouncement from the Bible is considered the final word. The Bible is the basic textbook of the church and the basis for all preaching and teaching. The belief of the church is stated fully and completely in the Bible. There is no other manual or discipline to which the members of Christ’s body must give their allegiance. Man's spiritual journey must recognize no other creed or authority beyond the Bible (John 12:46- 50).

CONCERNING SALVATION
Restoration of sinful man is God's desire (1 Peter 3:9) and is made possible by His love and grace (John 3:16). This salvation is attainable by man's faith in God, His Word the Bible and obedience to the simple requirements stated in the gospel. Forgiveness of sins can be found only through Christ when a sinner repents of sins, confesses the Sonship of Christ and is immersed with Christ in baptism (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5). These straightforward steps to gaining a personal grip on salvation are as follows...

Hear the Gospel. "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14).
Believe. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).
Repent of past sins. "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30).
Confess Jesus as Lord. "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:36-37).
Be baptized for the remission of sins. "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38).
Live a Christian life. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9). Spiritual growth and development in the likeness of Christ is the noble living purpose of a true child of God.

CONCERNING THE CHURCH
The love that God and Christ have for the church cannot be overstated (Eph. 5:25-27). The church is "the ones called out" (from sin, darkness and death) and consists of the body of believers redeemed by the blood of Christ. Christ is the one who adds "the saved" to His spiritual family. All who love Him, believe His Word and "obey the gospel" can be at peace with God, and look forward to their place in the eternal kingdom of God.

CONCERNING LEADERSHIP
By divine decree, the church is under the oversight of spiritually qualified men who are called "elders" or "overseers" in the New Testament (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4)). The work and worship of the body, under the guidance of elders / shepherds, is carried out supported by scripturally appointed "deacons”, along with teachers and evangelists or preachers. Elders serve under the headship of Christ according to the New Testament. All faithful Christians serve in loving, caring submission to God as directed in the Bible. There is no earthly authority superior to the elders of the local church.

These simple “components of belief” are not meant to be a statement of rules or a creed. They are simply a concise and brief overview of the basic foundations of our faith based on the Inspired Scriptures... The Holy Bible.

The early church, its leaders and its members, were very much on the same page in every aspect of important doctrine because the Bible was their only source of true doctrine. Nothing was added or taken away.

The modern drift away from sound doctrine has created the confusion of denominations in the modern church. Why? Because they have abandoned the one and only true source of truth - the Word of God. In drifting away from the pure and unadulterated Word of God, they have created strife, divisions and divisiveness by promoting their own versions of the simple foundations of true Christian faith.

Accept nothing less than TRUTH from your church experience. Christians... don’t wait for someone else to teach you the truth of God’s Word. Search the Scriptures for yourself and see what it the Bible says to you. It is the foundation for God approved belief... the basis of your faith. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Bible is our standard for testing everything that claims to be truth. It is our safeguard against false teachings and source for guidance on how we should live. It is the only source for understanding God’s requirements of salvation. Spend as much time as you can reading the old stodgy Bible and God will guide and direct your heart to the truth as only he can.

You won’t need Belief-O-Matic to tell you what you believe... you will discover truth on your own as God intended for you to do. Read the Bible daily, and you will become confident in your faith and your life journey.

God verses the Tiger Woods Syndrome!

Human beings are incapable of formulating moral laws. We see evidence of this everywhere in the world’s diverse cultures and societies. Actions considered acceptable in one country are condemned in another. Even the generations within a country will often have different opinions about what constitutes good moral behavior. Parents argue with teenagers, teachers with pupils, authorities with the population. Everyone it seems has his or her own opinion about what constitutes good moral behavior.

Regardless of what we think we are capable of deciding, defining, explaining and categorizing... humans are incapable of formulating moral laws. God knows that better than we do!

Because of this fact we must look to God - the one who created us for guidance on what constitutes good moral behavior. Here is what He says, in fact commands, concerning the matter of infidelity as recorded in the Ten Commandments... Exodus 20: 14: “You shalt not commit adultery.”

How serious is God about this command... the following verses project the deadly consequences of disobedience....

Leviticus 20:10: "f a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”

Leviticus 18:20: “do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.”

Proverbs 6:32: “But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.”

When does Adultery start?
In Matthew 5, Jesus gave what many believe to be the greatest moral teaching ever—the Sermon on the Mount. In addition to the Beatitudes, one of the topics He took head-on was adultery.

Jesus spoke as if adultery was as much an issue in the 1st century as it is in the 21st century. Instead of confusing His followers with hard-to-interpret rules of conduct or various “lines one can cross” that could be twisted and manipulated, Jesus gave one firm and clear line that separates innocence and guilt.

He said... "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." (Matthew 5:27-30, NIV)

According to Jesus, the “ultimate line” is not the physical act of sex it self. The “line is crossed” when one thinks about another woman [or man] in a sexual way. If a person is in a committed marriage relationship, all of their mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional energy and effort should go toward their spouse.

When God instituted marriage (Genesis 2), He explained to the first couple (Adam and Eve) that husbands and wives should leave their parents and form a new bond... a relationship so close that they would be as if “one flesh.” Therefore, when a married person begins to give even their mental or emotional energy to someone else, they have “crossed the line” in God’s view.

Jesus taught that the beginning point of adultery is in the head, your mind. That’s where one contemplates the pursuit of the physical sex act with someone other than your rightful mate. This can be manifested in many ways, some which our society considers rather harmless.

Don’t be deceived. Flirting is crossing the line. Going to a strip club is crossing the line. Viewing pornography is crossing the line. Spending an inappropriate amount of time alone with someone other than your spouse, even if it never gets physical, is crossing the line. 

Making effective use of hyperbole, Jesus explained that married people should go to extreme lengths to protect the bond of trust they have with their spouse. To be casual and haphazard with a marriage relationship is inviting disaster that could have easily been avoided.

Adultery – as Jesus defines it - can happen to high profile people like Tiger Woods David Letterman and South Carolina’s Governor Mark Sanford, and it can happen to you and me.  It’s just one careless thought or action away from planting a seed in your mind, and you decide to let the seed grow.  You might think it’s harmless... no one knows your thoughts, no one is being hurt. Except you! If you’re a professing Christian, you are in danger of losing your relationship with God, your eternal life, IF you allow such thoughts to continue growing.

Heed this warning.... consequences cannot be avoided when you violate any of God’s commands. Postponed maybe... avoided... not possible. No one should delude themselves into thinking that the Ten Commandments are somehow obsolete and that acts of adultery, albeit fashionable in today’s world, are going to be ignored by Almighty God.

God’s attitude towards adultery has not changed. Modern, enlighten, or sophisticated cultural practices do not trump God’s commandments. Nothing escapes Him and He punishes those who disobey His commandments.

What about those who have already made adultery part of their lives... is salvation possible for them? The answer is yes. Forgiveness and salvation is possible for all sinners who repent and forsake their sins, no matter what those sins may be.

For Christians who have fallen into the snare of adultery... your recovery will most likely be the biggest challenge of your life in Christ.

Willful sin is serious business with God. An unrepentant adulterer... knows what he or she contemplated was wrong... but did it anyway. That’s hard hearted brazen behavior in the eyes of God. What should you do? Seek help from your church elders and confess your sin openly to them and your injured mate. Vow to walk faithfully, obedient to all of God’s commands, for the rest of your life. In fact, don’t even spit on the sidewalk!

On your day of judgment, you will NOT be able to say to God.... I suffered from the Tiger Woods Syndrome and was just unable to stop myself from dalliances with other women [men].

Every unpardoned and undeclared sin will be dealt with by God, harshly. Do not let your life slip away without resolving firmly to stop your sin of adultery. YOU DO NOT WANT GOD to find you still sinning... because adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals will have no place in God’s Kingdom.

The Apostle Paul penned a frightening warning to first century CHRISTIANS in the morally permissive city of Corinth... 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God."

Christian... if you are caught in the snare of adultery, fix your problem now. Recognize the damage you have done to yourself and those you claim to love. Understand, that what you have done is seen and fully known by God, both your actions and deepest innermost thoughts [desires] of the heart.

Change for Tiger Woods and those like him will not be easy, or for anyone who harbors the belief that “adultery” is no big deal. It is a very big deal with God. It can destroy you... permanently.

RECOMMENDATION...
A fine movie titled "Fireproof" was released on DVD recently to serve as an inspiration and a warning about Jesus’ teachings regarding adultery and marriage.  The movie also inspired the marriage renewal book called “The Love Dare.” They are both available in book stores or online through Amazon. 

Tiger Woods... such a bad boy you are!

You may be wondering why I’m writing about Tiger Woods. Well, he’s back on the PGA tour, having played in the Masters last week. So he’s once again big news... for golf. I watched him skip balls across a water pond as if they were flat stones thrown by hand. That was cool.

I am also facinated by the reactions people have towards him, in light of his sexual indiscretions. There is an obvious strategy by his handlers, to redefine him as Tiger Woods, the king of golf and minimize the image of Tiger Woods... king of infidelity. The Masters was an attempt to create a sort of redemption story. Hey, its Tiger Woods, king of golf, therefore his bad behavior is okay... right? That seems to be the reaction of many people. This guy is a transcedant figure on the world stage... with enormous global influence. What he does, what he says, his opinions and attitudes are embraced as the norm, as acceptable by many many people.

He made some very bad choices. Can he change... sure, if he really wants to. The question is... does he want to, or will be fall into the convenient new “excuse” that bears his name?

In the past few months, psychologists have coined a “new” malady to explain bad choices in human behavior. And we have the antics of Tiger Woods to thank for this new bit of pop psychology. It’s called the “Tiger Woods Syndrome”. There’s even a book about it, titled... The Tiger Woods Syndrome: Why Men Prowl and How to Not Become the Prey , co-authored by J.R. Bruns M.D. and R. A. Richards II.

Here’s [their] definition of the “Tiger Woods Syndrome”: It’s a syndrome in which relationships are based on artificial intimacy. It’s where physical attraction and charm are emphasized over compatibility. It is a short-lived relationship... as both partners realize that the reasons they came together in the first place were based on lies. In the end, the deceptive relationship results in two bitterly disappointed partners—or in the case of Tiger Woods, it ends up on the eleven o'clock news. It can affect anyone... including women.

Celebrities and public figures recently caught with another woman have been singled out as suffering from the “Tiger Woods Syndrome. Guys like, John Edwards, David Letterman, Bill Clinton, Jon Gosselin, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and Jesse James (Sandra Bullocks husband) to name a just few. The syndrome suggests that Hollywood types having an incredible amount of money, an incredible amount of fame, and an incredible amount of time. … enables them to pursue these carnal activities.

Is it really all that bad? Isn’t it just boys and girls having fun? Men who do this sort of thing aren’t really dissatisfied with the women in their lives, it’s about the chase and the hunt. Variety, after all is the spice of life. Does any of that reasoning sound acceptable to you?

The creators of this new thinking... The Tiger Woods Syndrome, say it marks the beginning of an awakening for America. Shaky relationships built on dishonesty must not be accepted as the norm. It's time to take that first step toward a relationship that is built on something that withstands the test of time... integrity. Really? Wow... that’s so original! It’s amazing what you can do with a news release, a brush and a bucket of watered down white paint! Geez!

The Tiger Woods Syndrome is just another excuse to justify infidelity. It’s another malady in a long line of so-called medical or psychological conditions that people will use to excuse their bad behavior. In this case... an excuse for cheating on your spouse.

This isn’t something new. It all ready has a well grounded name... ADULTERY! Someone already wrote about it in a very well known book... the Bible! Remember those annoying Ten Commandments? Commandment number seven says... “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:2-17) God’s mouth to our ears! No filters, no psychological review or interpretations required!

The story of Tiger Woods and many other celebrities are well known. But there are countless men and women throughout human history who have fallen by “choice” into the trap of infidelity.

Adultery is not a sickness. It’s not a syndrome. It’s not something that overtakes you against your will and personal power to flee from it.... it has always been a choice.

The Bible says it is a “sin”. The desires for sin are born within the heart of man and woman. No power, visible or invisible, forces anyone to do anything against their will. In other words... the “Devil did not make you do it and God didn’t create you with that tendency”.

Sadly, it happens every week, in every country, men and women being caught in the act of adultery. It has been happening since the fall of man. Here’s what we know about the act... it is very popular and always has been. It’s often glamorized in the media, not surprisingly then, we see adultery on the increase. Adultery shatters marriages and destroys trust. Adultery scars the lives of children... of this there can be no doubt.

Today’s culture seems to pass adultery off as no big deal. It’s natural. It’s normal. It’s fashionable. It’s to be expected. Husbands and wives are encouraged to “negotiate” a relationship compromise around the likely possibility, probability in fact, than it will happen in your relationship. Our culture says... accept it, learn to live with it and move on. You can see with this growing permissive view, that many adults of all ages don’t seem to be all that concerned about it or its consequences.

What are the moral issues involved here? Is Adultery really wrong... today? In a modern culture, can we set aside the Ten Commandments and go with the “enlightened and sophisticated” prevailing attitudes towards such conduct?

In the next installment of this discussion, I will examine God’s perspective on the Tiger Woods Syndrome. He definitely has one!

Stay tuned... next article will be posted by Wednesday, April 21st.

Life is really Simple...

...but we insist on making it complicated. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see the world in simple terms? That’s a very scary idea! I don’t no if man could handle “simple”... he might start to feel inadequate. Everyone wants to be a genius, or at the very least do something that creates the “wow” factor. Can you imagine what life might be like if we measured “genius” not by how fancy, big or powerful somebody makes something, but by how simple.

Just for a moment, think of what you are doing in the world right now, this minute. It’s complicated. More and more stuff keeps coming at you that you have to keep up with. We have wide-ranging complexities touching our lives every day. Technology with features we can't or don't know how to use and incomprehensible software messages. When the instruction book for your new wireless hand-held device (can’t call it a cell phone anymore, because... well you know) is larger than the device... don’t you think something is really wrong with that picture? We have inexplicable tax policies, nightmarish healthcare paperwork, and with the new healthcare reforms it will get much worse. What about those infernal cell phone pricing plans? Sorry... I didn’t mean to call it a “cell phone”.

I think you get the idea. Humanity works overtime to make things, almost all things... complicated. At least we don’t need a “pin number” to breath... yet!

It’s time for some new rules... at least in your personal life. Simplify your life. Maybe we should follow Einstein's belief... wasn’t he a really smart guy... that "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

Most of us work at jobs that don’t need to be as complex as they have become. We ourselves have contributed to that complexity. I look back over 30 years of doing the same type of job... and its far more complicated today than it was in the 70’s or the 80’s. Frankly, my job was more satisfying 30 or 20 years ago than it is today. And it was in fact, far more productive and satisfying then, than it is now. Most of what we do in life endeavors is not rocket science, but of course there is a degree of complexity to some things we must deal with.

What we need is the right balance in our lives to optimize our experiences. How? Where can such balance in an “off-balance” world come from? God. Very simple isn’t it.... just God. Partner with God and life will become much simpler. He has given us very simple tools to create the needed balance in our lives in a very chaotic world.

Jesus provided the ultimate counsel for creating near perfect balance in human life experience. Here’s what he said as recorded in Matthew 22:37-40.... “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."


And... just before His death on the cross, He again reinforced the importance of human relationships... as recorded in John 13:34-35... "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Think about it... don’t we make things more complicated than they need to be to flatter our own ego? We like to make things complex to gain power over others... making ourselves more important than we really are? Complexity.... yields self-importance, arrogance, pride and all the character traits that make those with such things very undesirable to be around.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex... it takes a touch of genius to move in the opposite direction and make things easy, simple.

The advice Jesus gives.... to love others and to love God must be the foundation of our entire being, if we are to find and sustain balance and simplicity in our lives. If we can’t see others as valuable... if we can’t be concerned about the needs of others, putting their needs and interests first before our own... then we are essentially worthless in the eyes of God.

Let go of yourself! We must recognize and yield to a higher authority, a power outside and beyond ourselves. This is the single pivotal issue for living in balance and harmony with the world around us. If we can’t see beyond ourselves, our own ideas and our own desires, then we become nothing more than a tarnished self-made god among many in an overly complex world that is wasting away. The living God rejects us.

God is really very simple, and has simple expectations in relationship with humanity. I know... He is unfathomable, unimaginable and incomprehensibly complex. That part of God shouldn’t be our primary concern. He has presented Himself to humanity in very simple terms and requires very simple commitments from us to sustain a relationship with Him.

What I am saying is simple... a relationship with God brings balance ands simplicity to your life. It’s not rocket science. Don’t over complicate what God offers to you!

You have the capacity to live a simple and satisfying life... but it will only happen if you allow God to simplify your life. Your commitment to God, will dramatically begin to put the complexities of your life in perspective. Certain things will diminish in importance and you will begin to see alternate pathways that will ease the stress and anxieties of the complex world around you.

Your simple life starts by seeing others as more important than yourself.... giving instead of taking.... caring for others in need first before yourself. Turning your head and heart upward... yielding to the God who loves you and gave it all, to make your life a simple and satisfying experience... anchored in HIM.

Lessons from the Road to Emmaus

One of the most significant events after the resurrection was an encounter between Jesus and two men on the well traveled road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It happened on that very Sunday afternoon, the day of His rising from the grave.

The encounter is profiled in Luke 24:13-35. Two men walking... one by the name of Cleopas and his traveling companion who is never named in any biblical reference to this extraordinary encounter.

These two men on the road to Emmaus had just experienced a faith-shaking body blow by seeing Christ die on the cross. Like all the disciples, they couldn't understand the death of Jesus. Like most all followers of Christ, they had high hopes that Jesus would restore the throne of David, repel the Romans and restore Israel to power and prominence. For them... Christ had failed. He was gone and that was the end of their confidence. While walking, they would have been discussing the "what ifs" of the final week in Jerusalem, wondering "why this and that" had happened the way it did. Their walk home to Emmaus, was a walk of discouragement, a walk of sadness, of disillusionment, of lost hope, broken dreams and stolen futures.   Verse 17 sums up their condition... “they stood still, their faces downcast.” The stage is set for this timely encounter with the risen Lord Jesus.

Along comes Jesus heading towards Emmaus. He walks right up to them. But they don’t recognize him at all. Why didn’t they recognize him?

We know they’re extremely downhearted about the death of Jesus. Can pain and anguish cloud a person’s ability to see something you would otherwise easily recognize? Human pain and suffering can do that. It can give the illusion that we're all alone and we do not recognize those around us, even our closest friends. Could it have been their lack of expectation regarding Jesus? Jesus had died. They believed death was final, so they did not expect to see Jesus again. Even if this man looked like Jesus, it could not be Him. He was dead. Or could it be that they were kept from recognizing Him? Could it be that they were being taught a new way of seeing Jesus?

It’s worth noting that they weren’t the only ones who, in their pain and anguish, had a problem recognizing Jesus after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was a gardener at first, until He said her name. The eleven Disciples thought He was a ghost until He invited them to touch Him. Thomas wouldn’t even acknowledge the possibility that Jesus was alive and said he won’t believe until he saw and touched the wounds. In each of these encounters, Jesus was not recognized right away. In each case something happened that opened their eyes to the startling realization... it's Jesus!

The Bible does not suggest that there was any form of disguise or intentional clouding of the eyes of these two fellows. So it’s reasonable to conclude that their obsession with Christ's perceived failure at Calvary and being so self-absorbed in grief, led to their failure to recognize Him. They simply couldn't recognize Jesus because they rejected His death and clung to their own ideas of who Jesus should have been and what He should have done.

So, what does Jesus do? He engages them in conversation by asking them many questions. They couldn't believe that anyone could have been in Jerusalem during the past week and not know what had happened. Nonetheless, they faithfully recounted to Him what they knew. As they did, it was obvious they had first-hand information. They were eye witnesses. Everything said was in harmony with Gospel teaching about Jesus’ final week. They even made reference to Christ's possible resurrection, although they did not acknowledge it as a possibility.

These two guys walking along with Jesus, had the benefit of Christ's personal tutoring. However, Jesus delivers a stern rebuke, but in a tender light-hearted way. As they continue to walk together, Jesus, through the Word, gave them a divine and positive perspective on what they had witnessed in Jerusalem.  

So what happens as they draw closer to Emmaus? They invite Jesus, yet unknown to them, to their home to share a meal. Jesus would probably have walked on if not for their insistent and urgent extension of hospitality. Then, once at the table, their respective roles reversed. Jesus, the invited guest, becomes their host and they became his guests. When He broke the bread, their eye’s were opened and they recognized Him and then He vanishes!

Once their eyes were opened to the truths He has taught them, Jesus became visible to their physical eyes.    This was more than simple recognition of His physical features.  They came to recognize Jesus in all His significance as the Messiah, the Son of God, and their risen Lord and all that it means for them and their lives!  And it came through understanding the Word as Jesus instructed them on the road. Now what do they do?

Overwhelmed with joy... they rushed the seven miles to Jerusalem... a risky journey in darkness. There they shared their testimony with the other disciples. What a change had taken place. Earlier on that day... they had left Jerusalem heading home to Emmaus, full of sorrow and sadness at the death of Jesus Christ. Now they were overjoyed at seeing Him and learning the true purpose of Jesus mission and the meaning of the cross.

These two men aren’t the only people who have a hard time seeing Jesus because of confusion, pain, sorrow, and maybe a bit of resistance and stubbornness.  You and I often react the very same way. 

When we are in pain, when things aren’t going well in life, when problems seem to never go away, it is hard to recognize Jesus’ presence in our lives. We are more likely to cry out like Jesus Himself did, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” than to say, “Thank You, Jesus, for being with me in everything I’m experiencing in my life right now... the good and the bad.” 

Let’s face it... life is sometimes hard and painful. But that is when we experience the most learning and growing, if we let ourselves.  That is when we have the greatest opportunity to encounter Jesus – to be witnesses to His power and presence in our lives... if we will just allow our “eyes and ears” to be opened.

It’s hard to see things from a spiritual perspective, especially when we’re going through hard times. Our perspective will almost always lack the needed spiritual dimension to see and comprehend the things God is trying to teach us. We become self-absorbed in our suffering and fail to see the bigger picture.

The same God who spoke the words that created all things, speaks His Word again and again to us every day.  How many of us have lived apart from God’s Word, and then wondered why we’re in the messes we find ourselves in?  How many times have we cried out to God wondering where He is, while His Word... our Bibles sits on a book shelf collecting dust?

What these disciples on the road to Emmaus learned is essential for us to learn. The way in which they were taught to “see” Jesus is the way we, who have never seen Jesus physically, are to “see” and recognize Him. In Christ we have the grace and senses needed to see Him. Just because we don't recognize or hear Him physically doesn't mean that He is not with us. We need to learn where and how we can see and hear Him.

We all travel a bumpy road through life with many curves and turns.  It is not unusual for us to feel at times like everything is out of control in our lives. It’s so easy for us to forget that Jesus is with us.  We spend way too much time beating ourselves up, feeling that God is a long way off and wondering if everything we’re trying to do is an exercise in futility. 

The whole time, Jesus is always available to walk with us on our road. He is waiting for us to ask Him for help along the pathways of a life lived in commitment to Him.  When we listen we hear... when we ask for help we understand.  Talk with Him daily... in prayer.  Walk with Him, totally dependent on Him... through the travails of your life and you will find joy, peace, contentment and “a heart burning with desire” because... we clearly see Him.