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Through
the Eyes of Jesus
Jesus
†††
9-21-97
 e joined the
road to Jerusalem, and My friends all seemed to be happy thinking that soon
we would reach the holy city and the Festival. Philip, who was by Me now asked,
“Will there be many more stops before we get to Jerusalem?”
 “Only those that are needed,” I
replied.
Philip was quiet for a moment,
then said, “Those Syrians were very frightening.”
“My friend, try never to
be frightened; keep calm and secure in the knowledge that I am with you always,
and I will protect you from everything that may destroy you. It is when you
have fear in your heart that evil
can hurt you, but when you have trust in Me, and faith in My
love, then evil cannot harm you,” I said,
reassuringly.
“Lord, You certainly were
not afraid, were You?” remarked Andrew, who was by Me also.
“There was nothing to fear
and there never is, if you trust in God,”
I replied. “How is James now?” I asked, already knowing the
answer.
“The pain is gone,”
replied Andrew.
“There is not a mark on
him; it is as if nothing had ever happened,” Philip said in amazement.
I smiled as we continued to walk. “Lord,” it was Philip again.
“Lord, why do other peoples fight for Rome rather than against it? It
doesn’t make sense. I mean Rome suppresses the Syrians also, so why
do they fight for Rome?”
“Sometimes people only think
of themselves. God, their country, their people, and even their family, at
times, mean little. If they can gain power or influence, wealth or fame,
food to eat when they are hungry, money when they are poor, then many will
sacrifice their very souls. Often, they do not know they are doing so because
self has blinded them. Often, they believe how
strong and brave they are in what they do, but
they are the truly weak.
“The strong are those who
stand against wrong no matter what it costs, no matter how tempting it may
be. Strength of heart is a gift of God that only needs
humble acceptance to achieve. With strength of
heart, even the starving, the dying, will not give in to
evil, to what is wrong. This truly is strength,
but in the world today is often seen only as
weakness,” I explained, thinking of the strength the martyrs would show
in the future ... but how often they were
mocked and thought of as foolish and weak,
how easily people are blinded, and how easily that blindness leads to
hatred, a hatred that can lead to
hell.
Phillip began to discuss with
Andrew what I had just said, and as I listened to their words, My mind slipped
into thoughts of how many in the future would reflect upon My words, and
how some of these would also have a blindness that only let them see what
they wanted to see in My words ... how the things I spoke of that were too
difficult for them to accept, as it would mean change
in their lives, were often ignored. Then, how these same people, at times,
would spread their misunderstanding of My word
to others, and in doing so, spread the wrongs that they accepted. With others
accepting what they said, their wrongs no longer seemed wrong; now they seemed
right ... blindness everywhere in the world and everywhere in life, a blindness
that can only be lifted in Me.
—C. Alan Ames
Through
the Eyes of Jesus,
Volume 3, pp. 87-88
Used with
permission:
“Complete
segments, according to date, may be reproduced
if done so in full, and proper credits are given.”
© Carver Alan Ames – 1996
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