continued  -      My  Book –    CONVERSATIONS    WITH    CHRIST      ( based on the gospel of St. Luke  except chapter  1 )

CHAPTER   19

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.  Luke 21:36

CHRIST:    Be faithful to Me always, in the “dry ” season and in the “wet”.

When they which were before him saw what was to follow they said unto Him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?  And one of them smote …and Jesus answered and said, “suffer ye thus far”, and He touched his ear and healed him.   Luke 22:49-51

THE  SOUL:    Lord, half the time I do no understand Your ways.

CHRIST:     If Understanding walked through the front door, Faith would run out the back.  ” The just shall live by  faith,” not by their intellectual understanding.

Then took they Him and led Him, and brought Him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. Luke 22:54

SUFFERING

CHRIST:   Every man has a price to pay for what he is in God’s preordained role for him. As Redeemer of the world I paid the price with My blood, with My very life, unto the death. To be My mother, Mary had to pay the price of her suffering, and no mother can really be exempt from suffering. The closer they follow Me, the more blessed they will be.      To be a father, Abraham had o pay the price of waiting for Isaac; then he had to pay the price of knowing he had to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah at God’s command. To be a son I had to pay the price of seeing My mother sorrowing at the foot  of the cross, and know that I was inflicting that sorrow.

To love and care for the sick I had to pay the price with tears and compassion when I saw them as sheep without a shepherd.  As a friend, John the Baptist died because of Me.  Even to love Me costs tears as it did Mary Magdalene outside My empty tomb.       To be a leader one has to suffer betrayal sometimes, as I did. To be a follower one must suffer disappointment as did My disciples.

THE  SOUL:     Lord, because the disciples loved and followed You, they suffered greatly when You were arrested  and crucified.

CHRIST:       But they found their redemption from this when I rose again. I care when My children suffer.  But there is always a purpose for it all. Be faithful and you will find your resurrection.

THE  SOUL:    Lord, help me to be faithful.

Pain is a person who comes along to walk with you, talk with you to show you Jesus – then he disappears, as Jesus did after revealing Himself to the two disciples at Emmaus. If you refuse this friendly character of Pain, he becomes aggressive; he becomes a killer. He tears your body apart, kills your love, compassion, faith in God, hope, love for life.

THE   PERSONALITY   OF     PAIN

Pain can be a winding, tortuous path

That leads to God.

Pain is patient and determined:

He is out to redeem you or destroy you -

It depends on you.

Pain puts his iron arms around you,

It is a caress:

Or he is out to crush you -

It depends on you…

THE     SOUL:      Lord, did You know that the greatest pain is the pain of the suffering mind, the hurt emotions?

CHRIST:   I see you dare to ask the question.   There is redemption through My word.

THE    SOUL:    But are we to love pain, Lord.

CHRIST:       I hate sin, but I love the sinner.  You accept the purpose of your pain.

You are not to love pain, but its purpose.

… Pain is conceited;

He thinks you like his company

Because you do not turn to God

To shrug him off.

Pain is possessive,

A sadist;

And when you turn to God

He clings more to you-

You must cling closer to God too;

And God is all- powerful

And pain lets go of you.

CHAPTER    20

And he said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”   Luke 23:42

SALVATION

CHRIST:    No man cometh to the Father but by Me.

THE  SOUL:    Why is this, Lord?   Is it not better to go to the Father directly?

CHRIST:      I am the door. No man cometh to the Father but by Me. The Father hath given everything into my hands. He did not redeem the world without Me. I died to redeem it. Because of original sin every man has crucified Me.  Therefore each man  must accept Me before he can know the Father.

THE    SOUL:   Is this why so many do not find God in their search for Him?

CHRIST:      Yes. They seek Him without Me. I am the door. The Father has said, “ye shall seek Me and shall find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. ” This He said before I came into the world in the flesh. Later He said, “This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him.” And Mary said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

To find the wine jar of salvation and knowledge of God a man must first fill up his heart with the waters of faith, sincere, hopeful and continuous seeking. Then he must wait until I turn that into knowing.

The thief on My right spoke to Me personally, and, in his own way, accepted Me as his Redeemer and asked for forgiveness. The thief on My left never spoke to Me but argued with the one on the right. Even today, many argue with others about Me, instead of coming to Me directly. I spoke personally to the thief on My right; I wait to have a personal encounter with you today. I saw Nathaniel under the fig tree and knew who he was before Phillip saw him. I know you today personally, I died for you personally, and I wait for you to come to Me personally.

If any man comes to Me I will in no wise cast him out.