Burning Hearts

by Wayne Cordeiro on October 11, 2024

Happy Friday! It is October 11th, 2024. Some may have heard of the “Burning Man Festival,” a gathering of eclectic artists in the California desert each year. But I want to introduce you to the Burning Heart Festival, held in your own chest. This one is not started with kerosene; it is ignited by the Holy Spirit. Read on...

Today's Reading:

Nehemiah 5,6; Psalms 146; Luke 24

Scripture

“Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road?’” (Luke 24:31-32)

Observation

Everything changed when they recognized Him! Their attitudes, their disposition, and even their direction. Soon, they’d be making a U-turn and heading back to Jerusalem. But think of it … His presence was with these two skeptics long before they recognized Him at Emmaus. He walked with them for several miles without much change or notice, except for one small difference: they would later confess that all along the way, their hearts were burning within them.

Application

Burning hearts … this could be the telltale sign of His presence. They almost missed it in Emmaus. Like Jonah on his way to the wrong destination—Tarsus—these two doubters had no plans for a U-turn. However, burning hearts could be the light on the dashboard, the doorbell, the seismograph that alerts you to the fact that God just showed up.

I’ve experienced that in a church service. There have been times when I heard something spoken, and my heart burned within me. Or when I’m tempted and start moving toward the attraction, something burns in my heart. And there have been times when I knew I had to make things right, but I lacked the courage … until my heart burned within me.

Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for helping me recognize You at the stirring of the waters in my heart. Help me to open my inner ears, not just the ones on the sides of my head. You’ve always been so faithful to intervene when I’m headed in the wrong direction, but I pray that I will develop a burning heart long before I reach Emmaus.

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About the Author

Wayne Cordeiro

Dr. Wayne Cordeiro is the founding pastor of the New Hope International Ministry beginning in 1984 in Hilo, Hawaii. In 1995, he relocated to Honolulu and pioneered New Hope Oahu. Within 10 years, NHO was listed among the ten most innovative churches in America. Outreach Magazine listed them as one of the “top five churches to learn from.” New Hope has seen over 110,000 first time decisions since its inception and has planted 153 churches on the West Coast and in Okinawa, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar and Australia.

Wayne is an author of over 14 books and speaks globally on ministry and leadership. He also designed the Life Journal and the SOAP method for daily devotions used by thousands of churches. He is also the general editor of the LifeConnect Study Bible. In 2017, he passed the leadership baton in Hawaii and relocated to Eugene, Oregon to be president of New Hope Christian College (formerly Eugene Bible College, his alma mater). New Hope Christian College highlights the development of both the message and the messenger. (For more information, go to Newhope.edu).

In 2020, he pioneered New Hope West which partners with New Hope Christian College. It has become a “lab church” for ministry and leadership development. Wayne’s life themes are emphasizing the Word of God, a daily devotion to Jesus, evangelism, church planting, leadership development, communication and redeeming the arts and technology for Christ.

Wayne and his wife, Anna have been married for over 49 years. They have three married children (Amy Hisaoka, Aaron Cordeiro, and Abigail Rivest) and nine grandchildren. His hobbies include music, reading, golf, pickleball, and riding his horse.