In the most strangest of seasons we can identify with the two disciples who journeyed to Emmaus. In fact for many of us 2020 is a “journey to Emmaus:” in which our dreams are dashed, in pieces which we do not know how to make sense.

More than ever our journey from Jerusalem, from dashed hopes and dreams are ignorant of the ways of God.

“We had hoped…”

Our hopes for 2020 are far removed from what this year became. For me personally it was a journey from near death back to life, then the fallout from that experience. I had experienced an emergency hospitalisation on the 1st January this year. I think it was an indication of what was to come, and devastation I was to experience at many levels. Only those who undertook this journey with me, like the disciples on “my road to Emmaus” know exactly what I mean. Our hopes come through the filters of our ambitions and dreams. There is nothing wrong with having dreams and ambitions, however when they cloud the true identity of Jesus, there comes into our lives moments where devastation is experienced. It is that we placed so much expectation in what we thought would bring us fulfilment or position.

We had placed our hopes in human expectation instead of a clear divine objective. And when we do that God allows us to walk through our own ruins to make us face Him afresh. In this case Jesus Himself came to these disciples of Luke 24, and He saw exposed the hopes and dreams, but they were ideally placed to receive the true Dream of God, the true Ambition of the Most High. When we have nothing in ourselves we are humbled enough to be teachable. Our hopes are broken, we have no faith in ourselves. Our pulpits are empty, the pews are cold, and our programmes long suspended. Now it is the time that Jesus comes near to bring us a new revelation of Him. How we need a new revelation of Jesus.

That he should redeem…

Their hopes was that the former glory of Israel come back. They longed for the life before this crisis. How many of us, long for that normality that was before this pandemic! Just like the disciples who would read in the Scriptures of the visitation of Glory in the Temple. The conquest of Canaan, of David’s warrior Kingship! How we remember the conferences we attended or even hosted. Now we have our project for life in ruins. We had hoped that Jesus would bless our plans, bless our projects…but look now…what came upon the whole world. However what did our theology tell us? Maybe what we believed then, is not what we believe now. In this moment Jesus comes to visit us to bring us a perspective of how all what is happening and that precisely this pandemic represents a crucial part of His plan in positioning the Church for the greatest Outpouring ever. His redemption would not be physical first, it would be spiritual.

Right now with the US elections coming soon, Churches perceive the political process as much as spiritual as anything, some engaging in it, and divisions have arisen. I have come to the realisation that spiritual righteousness in a nation cannot come through a political process, and it is through this beast that comes the false bride of Babylon. The whole earth is shaking, and the political landscape is looking for solutions from a political sphere. This is a deception, the whole solution lies in the Glorified Lord.

He expounded all the Scriptures…

God is calling back His People to the Scriptures, for He is coming to speak to us within them. He is coming to lay a new foundation in our lives so that we can walk into a new stage in our walk in God. For those disciples they would in days receive the greatest interaction with the Holy Spirit. They would understand the mission of Christ from His Glorified Position at the Right Hand. How much we need a revelation of that Glorified Mission! The Scriptures precisely tell us where that place is, where we are, and what we will walk into. In this time when Jesus comes near, we still won’t recognise His Presence but we know that the Word that comes to us will make our heart burn within us! The fact is what we are living right now is in prophetic scripture, therefore what God reveals to us will show us His Will and our part in it!

Their eyes were opened and they knew Him…

This is where we are going in this time, to open our eyes and walk into a new intimacy with Him, because this “knowing” is intimate and real. Right now have closed eyes, and do not know Him. This pandemic is for this process, that we come to have our eyes opened as we commit to receive His Word, and we know Him via our burning hearts. Where it happened was at the Covenant Table, when He lifted the bread to bless. The Word leads us to the consciousness that in this time of crisis, God comes via Christ to make a covenant of peace and power with us. This covenant brings us into a intimacy with Him.

Returned to Jerusalem…

They returned to the place of visitation and as they testified so Jesus immediately appeared among them. There is coming a time in the Church as we return to visitation and we testify we have seen Him, He shall come in our midst. The first greeting is “Peace be with you”, in a world of turmoil His visitation promotes His peace. He exhorts them to behold. We are invited to a season of beholding Him. God has reserved a “Jerusalem” for us, for it is there we shall know Him, and His Spirit.

This message is for the motivation of making that transition between what we hoped for, and knowing Him more intimately. Let us ask God that He helps us make that transition. In every generation in every season it is for Jesus to be revealed afresh.

Shalom.