Dr Paul Allen

The Road to Emmaus appearance, based on Luke 24:13-32, painted by Joseph von Führich, 1830. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) When the disciples walked the road to Emmaus twenty centuries ago, Jesus concealed His identity so that they didn’t recognize the “stranger” at their side. These men were not in a garden. There were no roses covered with dew. But they walked and talked with the risen Christ . What was their experience like? When their eyes were finally opened and they recognized Jesus, He suddenly vanished and 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?” (Luke 24:32, NASB ). That is the normal human reaction to the immediate presence of Christ—“hearts burning within us.” My heart would be scorched to a cinder if I could hear His voice. My soul would explode in joy if I could walk with Him and talk with Him. I would travel the world to find a garden where He was visibly prese

Image via Wikipedia Most of us are unfamiliar with the church calendar. Eastertide happens between the resurrection and Pentecost . We know about Easter and shy away from Pentecost. Seldom do we look at what happened in this period of time between Easter and Pentecost. It was 40 days of Jesus life before He ascended. How would you spend your final 40 days? If you were trying to launch a movement, how would you do that with the final 40 days? Most people would assume you’d need to go to the epicenters of culture and announce yourself and your movement. What Jesus did revealed the tenderness of the heart of God towards the world. Jesus went after the discouraged and unfaithful to build a movement. The Road to Emmaus A significant battle happened in Emmaus, led by Judas Maccabeeus. He was “the hammer,” the William Wallace of the Jewish culture . That battle led to 100 years of freedom for the Jewish people . 2 people were walking towards Emmaus thinking about the Macabe

Image via Wikipedia When the disciples walked the road to Emmaus twenty centuries ago, Jesus concealed His identity so that they didn’t recognize the “stranger” at their side. These men were not in a garden. There were no roses covered with dew. But they walked and talked with the risen Christ .  What was their experience like? When their eyes were finally opened and they recognized Jesus, He suddenly vanished and 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?” (Luke 24:32, NASB ). That is the normal human reaction to the immediate presence of Christ —“hearts burning within us.” My heart would be scorched to a cinder if I could hear His voice. My soul would explode in joy if I could walk with Him and talk with Him. I would travel the world to find a garden where He was visibly present. But the truth is that I can’t see God . I can’t even see His shadow. He leaves no footprin