1418AFC050214 – A Close Encounter of the Sixth Kind
Read it online here, please.
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?”
Matthew 3:11 – “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Jeremiah 20:9 – “If I say, ‘I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name,’ then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can’t.”
C. S. Lewis: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time – waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God – it changes me.
Do you remember the 1977 movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” directed by Stephen Spielberg? Do you know that there are five kinds of “Close Encounters?
Encounter of the first kind: See a UFO within 500 feet
Encounter of the second kind: Physical evidence left at the site of a UFO encounter
Encounter of the third kind: Occupants of the UFO are visible
Encounter of the fourth kind: “Alien abduction”
Encounter of the fifth kind: Direct communication between human and alien
So what could be a Close Encounter of the Sixth Kind? I’ll explain shortly.
Today we will be looking at what happens when we have a close encounter with God. There are many such encounters described in the Bible. Abram hearing from God an invitation to travel hundreds of miles to a new land. Abraham and Sarah entertaining Messengers of God and being told Sarah would bear a child. Moses confronting the burning bush, and years later encountering God on a mountaintop. Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus outside the tomb. The two travelers on their way to Emmaus who meet Jesus on the day of his resurrection. That is setting for the passage at the top of the page. Cleopas and his unnamed companion are walking sort of northwest away from Jerusalem toward the small town of Emmaus. Emmaus (ee-MAY-us) was about seven miles from Jerusalem in the hill country of Judah. You might think of it as sort of a resort town; Emmaus means “Warm Spring.” It sounds like the two disciples were on their way home when Jesus overtook them on the road. He asked them what they were discussing. The two men were struggling with the news that “certain women” of the group which followed Jesus had visited the tomb and scared off the Romans. Instead, they had seen Jesus murdered by the Romans who had been influenced by Jewish leaders to put their Master to death.
They told Jesus how this had astonished them and they were talking about what it could all mean. They were upset enough that they did not recognize Jesus. He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)Then he explained everything that had happened by referencing the scriptures fulfilled. The three travelers got to the outskirts of Emmaus and Jesus indicated he was going farther. The disciples asked him to stay with them as it was getting close to sunset. He went in with them and as they sat to share a meal together, he broke bread and gave it to them. Instantly they recognized him, and the moment that happened, he disappeared.
They had a close encounter of the Sixth kind. They met God live and in person. Just as it was with Abram, and Moses, their close encounter with God changed them. They were instantly convinced that what they had heard about Jesus was true. They realized that as they were speaking with Jesus, as he was unveiling the Scriptures to their minds and hearts, they knew something extraordinary was happening. Their hearts were “burning within them.” No, that doesn’t mean they got heart burn. It means that they intuitively opened their hearts to Hope and Faith because of Love.
As C. S. Lewis said, meeting God changes us, not the other way around. We can meet him day or night, here or there, now or then. Sometimes we even meet him on the road, or at work, or in the grocery store. He can be hitch-hiking, asking for spare change, speaking wisdom in the guise of a child, or delivering a sermon at church. We meet him in Scripture, and we meet him in Prayer. That’s pretty much the whole idea behind these Aloha Friday Messages; you have links to the Scriptures so you can encounter him there. You have whatever it is the Holy Spirit has stirred up in me and then – added to that – you have whatever the Holy Spirit stirs up in you when you read this message.
Sometimes we meet God when he is working in and through us, and that is so startling! As in the quote from Jeremiah, sometimes we just can’t shut up about what God is doing or saying! We can clamp our teeth together and close our eyes and ears, but God just presses us to declare his Word. We give in, and it’s like a bubbling fountain – it just comes out and there nothing we can do to stop it. Sometimes, like C. S. Lewis, we can’t help but pray because we cannot help ourselves the way God can help us. It is only Jesus who can baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with Fire, the Fire that burns in our hearts to warm and brighten our souls. Sometimes we cannot stop a prayer or a prophetic word. Sometimes, God acts in us or through us because it is his will to do so, and we have yielded to his will. We experience a Close Encounter with God, and it indeed changes not just us, but everything about us. That encounter – more often than not – is unexpected; but should that be the case?
Cleopas and his friend were immersed in their emotions over what had happened and curious about the amazing news Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Cleopas (see John 19:25) had given them – that Jesus was alive and wanted the disciples to go meet him in Galilee. (See Matthew 28:1-10) The two men could barely believe what they had heard. The certainly did not expect that they would meet Jesus. Once they realized all that had happened, they hightailed it back to Jerusalem where the other disciples were hiding out and shared the amazing news which was confirmed when the other disciples said, “The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.” (Luke 24:34) Remember our four “omni” words from the Advent Series on Mercy? God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnibenevolent, and Omnipresent. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-goodness, and present everywhere all the time. You probably encounter him thousands of times per day (There are 84,600 seconds in one day.) Literally “any second now” you might be suddenly aware he is with you. He’s there all the time anyway. We just don’t pay attention. Maybe we should follow the advice of Mr. Ralph R. Upton, a high school teacher in Seattle who coined the phrase Stop – Look – Listen. That warning was posted at thousands of dangerous railroad crossings. What if we were to Stop – Look – Listen at the crossroads in our lives? Would we notice Jesus is there trying to get our attention, trying to engage us in a Close Encounter of the Sixth Kind? You know that happens sometimes! You have those moments when you just suddenly feel a very certain and special sensation that says to you, “Jesus is here!” You know that there are times when the Holy Spirit rushes upon you and your heart just blazes with the Light of his Glory and Grace. What prompts us to Stop – Look – Listen?
What do you see here? Is this just a telephone pole? Or does it remind you of something else? You’ve just had a close encounter! Look around the place where you are reading this. How many things do you see that remind you of The Cross? Think about looking into the sky and spotting the moon – day or night. For me (and hopefully for most of you) I am reminded of the Moon Beam Network and I take 15-20 seconds to pray the MBN Prayer. Hear a siren? See an ambulance or fire truck or police cruiser? Another close encounter! Pray for the operators of that emergency vehicle and for the people they are going to help. Hear a hungry child crying? Remember the Corporal Works of Mercy, and then do something merciful. Did a friend pass away recently? Comfort the family with true kindness. Know someone who is pilfering office supplies at work? Admonish that sinner! Something catch your ear at church? Meditate on what it means to you; then find out what God wants you to do with that new knowledge. Stop – Look – Listen. Not so much because you are in a dangerous place, but because you are in danger of missing another awesome opportunity to encounter GOD. All of these are Encounters with God. How many of them do we miss in one hour, one day, one year, one lifetime?
We are human after all. We are sinners. We are not tuned-in 100% of the time. But, pay attention to your heart. When it is burning within you and you know it’s not from lunch, Stop – Look – Listen – then Rejoice! He is risen indeed and with you even now.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved
chick
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
1418AFC050214 – A Close Encounter of the Sixth Kind
Read it online here, please.
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?”
Matthew 3:11 – “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Jeremiah 20:9 – “If I say, ‘I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name,’ then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can’t.”
C. S. Lewis: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time – waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God – it changes me.
Do you remember the 1977 movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” directed by Stephen Spielberg? Do you know that there are five kinds of “Close Encounters?
Encounter of the first kind: See a UFO within 500 feet
Encounter of the second kind: Physical evidence left at the site of a UFO encounter
Encounter of the third kind: Occupants of the UFO are visible
Encounter of the fourth kind: “Alien abduction”
Encounter of the fifth kind: Direct communication between human and alien
So what could be a Close Encounter of the Sixth Kind? I’ll explain shortly.
Today we will be looking at what happens when we have a close encounter with God. There are many such encounters described in the Bible. Abram hearing from God an invitation to travel hundreds of miles to a new land. Abraham and Sarah entertaining Messengers of God and being told Sarah would bear a child. Moses confronting the burning bush, and years later encountering God on a mountaintop. Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus outside the tomb. The two travelers on their way to Emmaus who meet Jesus on the day of his resurrection. That is setting for the passage at the top of the page. Cleopas and his unnamed companion are walking sort of northwest away from Jerusalem toward the small town of Emmaus. Emmaus (ee-MAY-us) was about seven miles from Jerusalem in the hill country of Judah. You might think of it as sort of a resort town; Emmaus means “Warm Spring.” It sounds like the two disciples were on their way home when Jesus overtook them on the road. He asked them what they were discussing. The two men were struggling with the news that “certain women” of the group which followed Jesus had visited the tomb and scared off the Romans. Instead, they had seen Jesus murdered by the Romans who had been influenced by Jewish leaders to put their Master to death.
They told Jesus how this had astonished them and they were talking about what it could all mean. They were upset enough that they did not recognize Jesus. He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)Then he explained everything that had happened by referencing the scriptures fulfilled. The three travelers got to the outskirts of Emmaus and Jesus indicated he was going farther. The disciples asked him to stay with them as it was getting close to sunset. He went in with them and as they sat to share a meal together, he broke bread and gave it to them. Instantly they recognized him, and the moment that happened, he disappeared.
They had a close encounter of the Sixth kind. They met God live and in person. Just as it was with Abram, and Moses, their close encounter with God changed them. They were instantly convinced that what they had heard about Jesus was true. They realized that as they were speaking with Jesus, as he was unveiling the Scriptures to their minds and hearts, they knew something extraordinary was happening. Their hearts were “burning within them.” No, that doesn’t mean they got heart burn. It means that they intuitively opened their hearts to Hope and Faith because of Love.
As C. S. Lewis said, meeting God changes us, not the other way around. We can meet him day or night, here or there, now or then. Sometimes we even meet him on the road, or at work, or in the grocery store. He can be hitch-hiking, asking for spare change, speaking wisdom in the guise of a child, or delivering a sermon at church. We meet him in Scripture, and we meet him in Prayer. That’s pretty much the whole idea behind these Aloha Friday Messages; you have links to the Scriptures so you can encounter him there. You have whatever it is the Holy Spirit has stirred up in me and then – added to that – you have whatever the Holy Spirit stirs up in you when you read this message.
Sometimes we meet God when he is working in and through us, and that is so startling! As in the quote from Jeremiah, sometimes we just can’t shut up about what God is doing or saying! We can clamp our teeth together and close our eyes and ears, but God just presses us to declare his Word. We give in, and it’s like a bubbling fountain – it just comes out and there nothing we can do to stop it. Sometimes, like C. S. Lewis, we can’t help but pray because we cannot help ourselves the way God can help us. It is only Jesus who can baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with Fire, the Fire that burns in our hearts to warm and brighten our souls. Sometimes we cannot stop a prayer or a prophetic word. Sometimes, God acts in us or through us because it is his will to do so, and we have yielded to his will. We experience a Close Encounter with God, and it indeed changes not just us, but everything about us. That encounter – more often than not – is unexpected; but should that be the case?
Cleopas and his friend were immersed in their emotions over what had happened and curious about the amazing news Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Cleopas (see John 19:25) had given them – that Jesus was alive and wanted the disciples to go meet him in Galilee. (See Matthew 28:1-10) The two men could barely believe what they had heard. The certainly did not expect that they would meet Jesus. Once they realized all that had happened, they hightailed it back to Jerusalem where the other disciples were hiding out and shared the amazing news which was confirmed when the other disciples said, “The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.” (Luke 24:34) Remember our four “omni” words from the Advent Series on Mercy? God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnibenevolent, and Omnipresent. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-goodness, and present everywhere all the time. You probably encounter him thousands of times per day (There are 84,600 seconds in one day.) Literally “any second now” you might be suddenly aware he is with you. He’s there all the time anyway. We just don’t pay attention. Maybe we should follow the advice of Mr. Ralph R. Upton, a high school teacher in Seattle who coined the phrase Stop – Look – Listen. That warning was posted at thousands of dangerous railroad crossings. What if we were to Stop – Look – Listen at the crossroads in our lives? Would we notice Jesus is there trying to get our attention, trying to engage us in a Close Encounter of the Sixth Kind? You know that happens sometimes! You have those moments when you just suddenly feel a very certain and special sensation that says to you, “Jesus is here!” You know that there are times when the Holy Spirit rushes upon you and your heart just blazes with the Light of his Glory and Grace. What prompts us to Stop – Look – Listen?
What do you see here? Is this just a telephone pole? Or does it remind you of something else? You’ve just had a close encounter! Look around the place where you are reading this. How many things do you see that remind you of The Cross? Think about looking into the sky and spotting the moon – day or night. For me (and hopefully for most of you) I am reminded of the Moon Beam Network and I take 15-20 seconds to pray the MBN Prayer. Hear a siren? See an ambulance or fire truck or police cruiser? Another close encounter! Pray for the operators of that emergency vehicle and for the people they are going to help. Hear a hungry child crying? Remember the Corporal Works of Mercy, and then do something merciful. Did a friend pass away recently? Comfort the family with true kindness. Know someone who is pilfering office supplies at work? Admonish that sinner! Something catch your ear at church? Meditate on what it means to you; then find out what God wants you to do with that new knowledge. Stop – Look – Listen. Not so much because you are in a dangerous place, but because you are in danger of missing another awesome opportunity to encounter GOD. All of these are Encounters with God. How many of them do we miss in one hour, one day, one year, one lifetime?
We are human after all. We are sinners. We are not tuned-in 100% of the time. But, pay attention to your heart. When it is burning within you and you know it’s not from lunch, Stop – Look – Listen – then Rejoice! He is risen indeed and with you even now.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved
chick
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
