Jun 28 - Luke 24:32

They said to each other,

"Were not our hearts burning within us

while he was talking to us on the road,

while he was opening the scriptures to us?"

Luke 24:32

On Easter Sunday afternoon, Jesus appeared to two disciples as they were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They were still deeply saddened by the crucifixion. Crushed. And they couldn’t comprehend yet the resurrection.

Jesus came up and walked beside them. And he did something remarkable. (Of all the things in the bible … this is the one I would have wanted to hear!!! Jesus himself telling of every prophecy made and fulfilled that led up to his life, death, and resurrection!)

The eyes of the disciples, though, were kept from recognizing Jesus. Therefore, when he sat with them at table that night and broke the bread, their eyes were suddenly opened. And they said … “Were not our hearts burning within us … while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

One of my favorite t-shirts designs that I’ve ever done was based on this line from scripture. It was like an product advertisement for Third Day Salsa. The tag-lines were, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” and “So hot, you’ll glow!”

The disciples did glow. And when the Spirit shows up powerfully, heat is often associated with this experience. Famously, at John Wesley’s moment of conversion, he said that he felt, “strangely warm.” When David Chotka ministered among us, several people reported heat flowing through his hands or their hands as they prayed. ^{Health update on David below.}

Sometimes peace rules in our hearts (we learned that from Colossians 3). Sometimes heat explodes.

Remember, our feelings must always, always, always be contained and confirmed within two strong guardrails. (Why? Because I can lie to myself and talk myself into hearing, feeling, and believing whatever I want.) Therefore, one guardrail is the scripture. If your feeling is not in accordance with scripture, it’s not from God!!! Our second guardrail is the guidance of strong and faithful Christian friends.

But the point is … God does want to speak to you and me.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants heartburn

from more than salsa

David Chotka thanks you for your prayers. His drooping eye is and viral issues are Bells Palsy, a form of chicken pox, if I remember right. Pray that it follows a normal progression – two weeks of rest, healing, and medication.