Do You Have a Burning Heart That Desires to Walk with Jesus?

      In the book of Luke, chapter 24:13-35 we read about the two disciples who were traveling along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  As they walked, Jesus drew near and went with them “but their eyes were holden that they should not know Him.”

      After “their eyes were opened and they knew Him,” Jesus vanished.  “And they said one to another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?”

      Note that the disciples were on the road together with Jesus — Jesus is the Way.

      Jesus opened up the scriptures to them as they talked together — Jesus is the Truth.

      While they were in His presence, their hearts burned within — Jesus is the Life.

      Does your heart burn within you as you walk in His presence wherever you go.  Do you have a burning heart which desires to see Him and know Him in each and every situation in your life — at home, at work, at the office, at the marketplace, at school, in your neighborhood, and in your fellowship with your brothers and sisters?

      Is your heart filled with a passion to follow Jesus wherever you are and wherever He leads you?  Are you so filled with the Holy Spirit and fire that you desire to know Jesus  in every situation and then make Him known?

Living with a Whole Heart — Living in the Holy Spirit

      Have you ever thought deeply about where you live and how you live?  Have you ever had Jesus cause you to focus on the poor of our nation and then the poor throughout the earth?  Have you noticed the contrast?  The poor in the United States of America often look rich when compared to the poor of the earth.  And how do the rich of our nation look when compared to the rest of the earth?

      We live in a very technological, materialistic, sense-oriented, individualistic, and alienating culture.  It is very hard to live in the U.S.A. and walk with Jesus.  It takes strength and courage to love God and hate the mammon, materialism, and sensory-dominated society in which we live.  Many of our brothers and sisters are caught in the web of mammon, materialism, and sense-oriented living and desire to be free.

      Have you ever asked yourself why you were born here in this culture — why God chose you to live in this age?  Think about this for a moment.  Could it be that you are here because He knew that you would take a stand against all that the devil could throw at you in the way of materialism, technology, information, and pleasure and that you would still choose to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Mark 12:30)  He knew that you could live in the midst of this technological, sense-oriented, pleasure-seeking society and that you would still trust in Him with all your heart and acknowledge Him in all your ways. (Proverbs 3:5,6)  In other words, Jesus knew that you would choose to follow Him wholeheartedly.

      Are you, or someone you know, having difficulty with wholeheartedness?  Remember that the devil has the ability to deceive and then he accuses. (Revelation 12:11)  If we fall for his deceptions and are led away by lust and/or pride, then we need to repent and seek Jesus and be cleansed. (1 John 1:9)

      God gives us this promise.  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (a future and a hope—NKJV).  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity..” (Jeremiah 29:11-14)  God’s promises continue.  “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:6,7)

      Jesus has so much for us when we walk with Him wholeheartedly.  He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire so that we can be lead of the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.  “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain..” (John 15:8,16)  God wants us fruitful.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22,23)

      Love from a pure heart is very important to Jesus.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34,35)  When we are following Jesus with our whole heart, then we can even follow Him into difficult situations.  “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven..” (Matthew 5:44, 45)

      When we can love our enemies and bless them, then we can have Jesus’ heart of compassion for all men and women and work in His harvest with our whole heart.

HAVING A HEART LIKE JESUS

      In 1979 A Distant Grief by F. Kefa Sempangi was published describing the persecution and revival in Uganda.  Three questions were asked which continue to challenge us in our time — the third millennium A.D.

          “Are you repenting?"

          “Are you walking in the light?"

          “Are you being broken?”

      Jesus said: “Repent ye and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)  He also told us, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” (John 6:29)  In his first letter John says “..if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (v.1:7)

      God wants us walking in faith and in the light and free from all sin.  We are to fully believe the gospel of the Kingdom of God.  John also tells us, “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. (v.2:6)  Jesus calls us to walk with Him wherever we go.  He wants us to respond to Him whenever He bids us to do so — at home, in the neighborhood, at work, in school, or in the marketplace.

      Jesus sends us out into a harvest field which is right in front of our eyes all the time.  And He wants us to have His heart concerning His lost children, our lost brethren — “But when He saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)  You know what He did next.  He asked His disciples to pray for laborers in His harvest — and then He sent them out into it.

      Did you notice Jesus’ heart condition?  He was “moved with compassion.”  He was broken over peoples’ conditions.  He wants us to be the same way — to walk as He walked.   God wants us to walk “with Him” in all that we do and to continually experience His presence and His kingdom wherever we are.  And He wants us to have a heart like His — one that is broken, compassionate, and loving.

 Please take note of these three questions.  Have the courage to ask them of yourself, and then of others.  God wants revival among His people and He desires a harvest where His lost children are coming home.

      We have been called to give our whole life to Jesus because “..He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)  Our lives are no longer our own “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)  We may even have to endure suffering.  “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: …That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1,2)

      God calls out to us.  “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.  And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD (Yahweh): and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13; 24:7)

      Our Father wants our whole heart!  Just as the eagle is lifted up in the wind we can be abandoned to the wind of the Holy Spirit.  We can be abandoned to God’s will.  After all, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth (in us) as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)  He  brings you to Himself on eagles’ wings. (Exodus 19:4)

      We have been called to give our whole life to Jesus because “..He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)  Our lives are no longer our own “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)  We may even have to endure suffering.  “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: …That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1,2)

      God calls out to us.  “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.  And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD (Yahweh): and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13; 24:7)

      Our Father wants our whole heart!  Just as the eagle is lifted up in the wind we can be abandoned to the wind of the Holy Spirit.  We can be abandoned to God’s will.  After all, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth (in us) as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)  He brings you to Himself on

eagles’ wings. (Exodus 19:4)

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

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