Pastor Eugene Smith

THE ROAD TO EMMAUS ~ LUKE 24:13-53 ~ Darla Smith

Come on a journey down the Road to Emmaus with two disciples who were devastated, downhearted, disillusioned and set adrift by the tumultuous sea of events that they had witnessed during and after Jesus’ crucifixion. They were sad, their hopes were shattered and they were stuck in unbelief! BUT THEN…

Darla draws from the teaching of Jesus in John 15 about the way to abundant fruitfulness. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and our heavenly Father is the vinedresser. He is the One with the qualifications for doing the necessary work of developing both quantity and quality of fruit in our lives. Branches who ABIDE bear much fruit.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that seems like a mass of endless miry clay that threatens to swallow you up? Listen as Darla tells personal testimony of being rescued literally from the miry clay as a child and her application of Psalm 40:1-3 to our lives today. The Lord hears our cry and will act on our behalf. Isn't it time to exchange our ‘welly / rubber' boots for ... ?

Early in our experience of the Spirit-filled life, the God who speaks delivers a word to our hearts, lodging deep within our spirit. That word gives us a small glimpse of his will for our lives, but God does not necessarily tell us the purpose behind his promise. Yet he begins to fashion our lives so we can receive the fulfillment, something we do not yet comprehend! How did this work in the life of Joseph? Did the nation of Israel allow itself to be guided by the destiny God had spoken to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Let us hold fast to God's spoken word to our lives and ket us allow him to shape us to be the instrument of his expression!

How will God win the hearts of men and women? God sends his Son into the world, not as a triumphalist, but as a servant. The most important ordination service of time and eternity is recorded for us in the prophecies of Isaiah. What prophetic utterance did God speak over his servant as he sends him into a power-hungry idolatrous world?

The Gospel of John share s a unique perspective on the resurrection of Jesus. Indeed, the resurrection story is the climax of many themes in Jon's Gospel. One of those themes is the power of Jesus to create. And his bodily resurrection is the beginning of the new creation! Be encouraged as you hear about the amazing power of Jesus to totally transform the life of anyone that comes to him!

Do you find yourself standing in the middle of the desert... dry, thirsty and hungry? Isaiah 2:2 encourages us by saying, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord." Let's find out how mountains, valleys and deserts are connected. The Lord promises to bring rivers into our deserts... but we have a part to play. Enjoy, as we make this journey together.

God's people constantly violated his covenant. Yet God's people are his master creation. Is it possible for God to walk away from his people, his creation? What has God invested in them and what is his heart as they suffer the consequences of their rebellion? Listen to the tender mercies of God as he addresses the fears of those who are coming to the end of their captivity in exile.

To what can the love of God be compared? How does he communicate his fervent desire to be faithful to his people? What metaphors can he use that will make a deep impression on our hearts and minds? How does God convince us that he yearns to restore his people when they are in the depths of discouragement? God's love is deep, more powerful than that of a mother with her new born baby!

In Isaiah, God summons the nations to court to ask them how justice can be brought to the world. After showing the complete futility of the powers of the world to do so, God shows that he alone can do this. But how will he do it? His answer is to present something totally opposite of the world's spirit, a nondescript unnamed servant who will never draw attention to himself. This is the foundation of the nature of the kingdom of heaven, and this will establish righteousness throughout the world.