THE FOOT OF HIS THRONE

 

I carry my cross every day to the foot of Calvary

Where You carried yours so valiantly to the top;

I wait for You there to lift me

To meet you at the foot of Your gilded throne.

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Behold the Man by Simon Dewey)

THE GOD OF VICTORY

 

As the children of Israel marched toward Canaan, their magnitude and size drove fear into the nations they encountered along the way. The most warlike nation they encountered inhabited the lands of Gobolitis and Petra and were called Amalekites (the descendants of Esau).

This is what the Amalekites saw: a formidable army of strangers, which by their strength, escaped the slavery of Egypt and which needed to be crushed before they came to be prosperous and take over the cities and all their goods…..therefore they had to be destroyed. (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities” Book 3, Chapter 2:1).

The Amalekites made two big mistakes. The first was making the wrong assumption of the Hebrews which were ill prepared for war, who had nothing and only escaped Egypt through the strength of their God. The second mistake they made was cowardly attacking the rear end of the marching Israelites killing the feeble and the faint and the weary. This did not sit well with God who commanded the Israelites to “utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven” (Exodus 17:14; The Old Testament Student Manual p 123).

This slaughter of their weak members drove incredible fear into the rest of the camp. Lucky for them they had one great advantage over all the other nations they would encounter in their sojourn. They had a living prophet among them. Moses exhorted his people to be courageous and to look upon their entire prosperity at the hands of God since they left Egypt and to believe that God will deliver them again (Josephus, "Jewish Antiquities" Book 3, 2:2).

Moses had a brilliant battle strategy: First, he appointed as the captain of the army a man of great courage, of great abilities and very serious in the worship of God, and very much like Moses who the people could have confidence in. Enter Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. Secondly, he directed his brother Aaron and Miriam’s husband, Hur, to stand on each side of him and uphold his hands to be a beacon of God’s power which would ensure the victory (Exodus 17:8-13)

The children of Israel won that war, terrified the neighbouring nations and enriched themselves with the spoils, having not lost one soul while those of the enemy’s army were too many to be numbered (“Jewish Antiquities” p 117).

I wasn’t going to write about this part of the Israelite’s journey but I saw something very significant in it. I saw the importance of a living prophet who represents the one who stands at the head. The Israelites could never have made it to the promised land if they did not have a prophet holding his hands up invoking the power of Him who had said:  “….and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 16:12)

Never in the history of the world have we needed a living prophet as much as we do now. The spiritual battle is raging, the evil power is the greatest it has ever been. The battle ground is fierce. Our promised land awaits but we need not fear.  I offer thanks this day that we have a prophet who is willing to hold up his hands to remind us we are led by the God of victory.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

SEEDS OF LOVE

 

I will scatter the seeds of Your love

Along humanity’s path

To feed the hungry souls

For many years;

Until each cared for soul

Will pave the trail of my happy tears.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: You Are Loved by Alex Kovych)

 

AN ETERNAL VIEW

 

"I am convinced that no soul has ever been whipped into this mortal existence; that each one of us came willingly, cheerfully, and gladly; even though we might have known that we were to inherit a body that was crippled, maimed, and deformed, still we were glad to come.....

“We knew that it meant sorrow, pain, and ultimately, death, and yet we rejoiced in the prospect to come. We saw beyond the valley of the shadow of death, with all of its pain, with all of its suffering, the grand vistas of the eternities, providing for man's eternal and endless progress, on, up and up, until we should attain unto what God is. Yet we knew that we could never ascend until we had descended and had been given a mortal tabernacle, and the union of the spirit and the body had become an accomplished fact.

“So by the attraction of it all we came gladly and willingly, for our eyes were not so much centred upon the sorrows and troubles of life as upon the grandness of that which lies beyond." (Melvin J. Ballard, "Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard", p. 179)

 

Teach me dear God

to till my little plot of earth

And give me strength

To overcome the imperfections

of my mortal heart.

Teach me to look upward

And hope for the glories

That will one day be mine;

Help me to rise on wings of faith;

Lift me above valleys,

Mountains and seas

That I might forsake this world

And fly with haste to Thee.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Homecoming by Danny Hahlbohm)

A LATTER DAY ROSE

 

There is a story of faith in the Book of Mormon that touches me to my core. It is the story of Enos whose faith became ‘unshaken’ in the Lord during his lengthy prayer in the forest (Enos 1:2,11). Faith is mentioned seven times in one chapter that constitutes the book of Enos. So unshaken in his faith Enos became that the Lord told him that his desires will be granted (v 12, 15).

And this was the desire of Enos: that the record of his people be preserved and brought unto salvation of the Lamanites at a future date (v 13). The Lord informed him that his predecessors too have ‘required’ this of Him and that their faith will be honoured also and the records therefore preserved (v 18). Think about it. The Lamanites were the enemies of the prophets that prayed for their salvation.

So bound was the Lord  by the faith of these righteous men that he made a covenant with Enos as to the fulfilment of His request (v 16) and confirmed this in our dispensation: “But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose” (D&C 49;24).

“The Lamanites must rise again in dignity and strength to fully join their brethren and sisters of the household of God in carrying forth his work in preparation for that day when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to lead his people, when the Millenium will be ushered in, when the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory and its lands be united and become one land.” (Spencer W. Kimball, “Our Paths Have Met Again”, Ensign Dec 1975, pp 5,7)

President Kimball went on to say that ‘the remnant of the house of Joseph’, meaning the Lamanites, will be built upon the land of America which is their inheritance. The Book of Mormon gives us more of an insight into the role they will play in our day.

When the Saviour visited the Americas post resurrection He spoke of the immense pride, lyings, deceits, hypocrisy, murders and priestcrafts, whoredoms and secret abominations of the Gentiles that will exist in the land prior to His return. He made it clear that if they do not repent then ‘the remnant of Joseph’ will rise to clear the land of its wickedness ‘as a lion among the beasts of the forest’ (3 Nephi 16:10; 20:15-17).

The Saviour also stated that after the cleansing of the wicked, the Lamanites will assist in building of the New Jerusalem, following which He would personally supervise their conversion and gathering (3 Nephi 21:23-26; see also “Prophecy and Modern Times” by Clean Skousen p 38 and President Marion G. Romney, BYU Speeches of the Year 1972)

Alma made it clear that “there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them…..and they will be brought to believe in his word….and many will be saved for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name” (Alma 9:16)

I see the Saviour so clearly in the concept of the House of Israel. His mercy and forgiveness is undeniable towards this group of people whom He has chosen as His despite their mortal imperfections and inadequacies. And the promises of gathering of all the tribes from the four quarters of the earth will never cease until He fulfils ‘the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the House of Israel’ (3 Nephi 16:5)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Christ in the Land of Bountiful by Simon Dewey)

 

 

THE GLORIOUS GOD OF ISRAEL

 

 

It is estimated by historians that the total number of the children of Israel who left Egypt would have been close to 2 million. That number would have increased over the 40 years of journeying. Just imagine people’s struggle with this ongoing travel and its associated frustrations, fears and doubts for 40 years. It’s like a camping trip from hell!

Imagine setting up tents and then tearing them down to continue from one point of distance to another and doing that for 40 years. Now imagine running out of food and water along the way and having to fight off the people who saw you as a threat to their land.

We who live in an age of sophisticated transportation could never relate to reaching any destination on foot. Jehovah instructed Moses the congregation should march in groups of 4, with each group consisting of 3 tribes, on the west, south, east and north surrounding the tabernacle with Levites who were consecrated to the service of caring for the tabernacle and priesthood ordinances within, to be in the middle.

The places of honour, at the head and immediately following the tabernacle and the Levites were held by Judah and Ephraim (Numbers 2). These were the choice tribes who presided over the two kingdoms in the promised land. Judah, because Christ was to come from that line and Ephraim, because He is God’s firstborn:”…for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9).

It was an eleven-day journey from Mt Sinai to the promised land but because of their rebellions that journey became 40 years of wandering (Clarke, “Bible Commentary” 1:737). Years ago when I was studying this, I came to the conclusion that the children of Israel were very spiritually immature. Their constant complaining and murmurings seemed like unnecessary faith defeating melt downs. Now that I have lived a life-time experiencing hardship, I have compassion for what they went through. I who abhor camping would not have lasted two days in such a situation.

Imagine being in charge of this whole operation.  No wonder Moses exclaimed: I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me!” (Numbers 11:14). But Moses did bear it because the God of Israel sent him Jethro, his father-in-law who taught him about delegation (Exodus 18:13-27). And that was not the only help He gave.

Jehovah also travelled with His chosen people (Numbers 9;21-23; 10:34; Psalm 78:14); sustained them with provisions; preserved their health and even the clothes upon their backs (Deuteronomy 8:4). He was there throughout the whole difficult experience refining them to become after 430 years in slavery, ‘a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people’ who could ‘show forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light’ (1 Peter 2:9)

This life is like a wilderness through which we must pass to get home. I have often asked myself why it has to be this hard. The answer is the same for us as it was for the children of Israel: “…and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 16:12)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Artist Unknown)

 

 

 

TO THE END

 

“Before you joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached, good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that, you left the neutral ground, and you never can go back on to it. Should you forsake the Master you enlisted to serve, it will be by the instigation of the evil one, and you will follow his dictation and be his servant.”

-          “Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith” [2007], 324)

“The Lord has made it clear that all who wish to be saved must endure to the end in righteousness (see Ezekiel 18:24,27; Matthew 10:22; Mosiah 4:30; 3 Nephi 15:9, 27:17; D&C 18:22; 53:7; 82:7)

“President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “having received the necessary saving ordinances – baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, temple ordinances and sealings – one must live the covenants made. He must endure in faith. No matter how brilliant was the service rendered by the bishop of stake president or other person, if he falters later in his life and fails to live righteously ‘to the end’ the good works he did all stand in jeopardy.”  (“Miracle of Forgiveness” p 121)

How deep He buried the truth in my soul

Long before this body of clay

Began the journey below!

 

He has watered the seed of my faith

And cleared my garden of weeds of gloom

He is the Gardener

Who tenderly watches my soul’s

everlasting bloom.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Garden Portrait by LDS Art) 

SONGS OF EVERLASTING JOY

 

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake saying, I will sing unto the Lord; for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation: my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.

Thy right hand, O Lord is become glorious in power, thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.

The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

-          Exodus 15:1-18

“Regardless of where the Ten Tribes are, it will require a miracle to bring them forth. It will be of greater magnitude than the dividing of the Red Sea in the days of Israel’s Exodus. Mountains, ice and a continent of water will stand between the Ten Tribes and the land of Zion when they first appear, but they will ‘smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence’ (D&C 133:26). As they come to the great body of water, dry land will be cast up in the midst of it so that a mighty highway will spread before them (ibid v 27; Isaiah 11:16).” (Cleaon Skousen, “Prophecy and Modern Times” p 56)

And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.

And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.

And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.

(D&C 133:31-33

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

HE WHO RESCUES

 

“So the Hebrews went out of Egypt, while the Egyptians wept, and repented that they had treated them so harshly…..but the Egyptians didn’t weep for long and…’soon repented that the Hebrews were gone; and the king also was mightily concerned that this had been procured by the magic arts of Moses; so they resolved to go after them.”

-           (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities” 15:1, The New Complete Works of Josephus p 107)

The number of Egyptians that pursued the children of Israel was overwhelming and terrifying:six

hundred chariots, fifty thousand horsemen, and two hundred thousand footmen, all armed (ibid page 107; Exodus 14:7).

The terrifying appearance of the Egyptian army when they found the Hebrews encamping by the Red Sea, triggered their often-repeated accusations against Moses during their travels to the promised land (Exodus 14:12. Josephus claims they attempted to stone him several times.

Moses, however, would not be deterred by the threat of his life and reasoned with people that God would not lead them out of Egypt to abandon them and if He so please He can make plain ground out of the mountains that were behind them and dry land out of the sea that was before them. He therefore prayed to God for their deliverance:

“You are not ignorant, O Lord, that it is beyond human strength and human contrivance to avoid the difficulties we are now under….and we have recourse only to that hope we have in you….therefore manifest your power to us….the sea is yours, the mountains also…..these mountains will open themselves if you command them, and the sea also, if you command it, will become dry land.” (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities” 16:1, p 109)

Moses closed his supplication to God by saying that they can even escape by ‘flight through the air, if He should determine that they should have that way of salvation’. Can you imagine God not acting upon such a prayer of faith? It is unthinkable. I’ve learnt something from Moses….without faith, prayer becomes just words.

Jehovah responded to Moses’ faith and “caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided…and the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground….and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.” (Exodus 14:21,22,31)

If you are in bondage to the adversary, in any way, know this. He will not let you go easily and when you try to escape he will come after you. But there is one mightier than he. He will ensure your escape and honour your faith. Hope, trust, believe…..He is the deliverer of your soul, may glory be His forever more.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: I Was There by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE GATHERING

 

Israel’s exodus from Egypt was epic. So momentous and powerful was it that it has been remembered as an unparalleled act of God’s power to this day but something much bigger is yet to happen to show the mankind who is in control of this project we call ‘earth’.

Subsequent Prophets to Moses both in the Near East and the Americas spoke often of the Exodus to keep this momentous deliverance of Israel fresh in people’s minds. They used the event as remembrance of Jehovah’s power and His mercy toward the covenant people. I am reminded of Nephi bringing Moses to his brothers’ remembrance when faced with the challenge of recovering the brass plates from Laban (1 Nephi 4:2,3).

Besides the Exodus, another sensational and dramatic example of Jehovah’s deliverance is found in the book of Daniel. I was reading the other day of Daniel’s prayer for forgiveness on behalf of the exiles in Babylon and I was enthralled with the beauty of his words through which he acknowledged Jehovah’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt (Daniel 9:15).

And herein is the beauty of it all. Daniel prayed because he knew that God would deliver the exiles from Babylon too and he knew it because of Isaiah’s prophecy (2 Chr 36:22-23; Isaiah 44:28; 45:1).

It is suggested by historians that when Cyrus conquered Babylon, he found Daniel there in his governmental capacity,  and that Daniel  pointed out to him the prophecy of Isaiah that was given 140 years before the fall of Jerusalem, that the Lord would raise up a mighty king who would free the Jewish captives in Babylon and allow them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the holy city. Isaiah even named Cyrus by name.....180 years before he even appeared in Babylon.

Astonishing isn't it? It certainly was to Cyrus because he sent out the proclamation amongst the Jews in Babylon that ‘the Lord God of heaven….had charged [him] to build Him a house in Jerusalem’ (Ezra 1:2) and asked who among all of God’s people wanted to return home. He actually offered freedom to anyone who wanted it. Proof that God always accomplishes His purposes in miraculous ways because nothing is beyond His power. It was no parting of the Red Sea but think about it…a Persian king liberating the Jews….just for some perspective - ancient Persia is modern day Iran.

In our day, the Lord will perform another miracle of restoring those that are lost. As early as 1831 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that the translated Apostle John was fulfilling a mission among the Ten Tribes preparing them for their journey to Zion (“Essentials in Church History, p 126).

This will be an event of enormous proportions, greater than the dividing of the Red Sea. So much so that ‘the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence…’ (D&C 133:31-33). 'The boundaries of the everlasting hills' being North America (Orson Pratt, in “Journal of Discourses”, 18:167-68; see also Genesis 49:26).

So great will this event be that ‘it will no longer be said “The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but, the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands whither he had driven them…” (Jeremiah 16:14,15) because “this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel …”  who proclaims:

“I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel.” (D&C 133: 34; 136:22)

We will come to Zion

With songs of everlasting joy

To worship our Lord and our King

And to Him forever our praises we will sing. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joyful by Graphic Arts Design)

THE FOCUS

 

“Prophets, priests and kings…..have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung, and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; we are the favoured people that God has made choice of to bring about the latter-day glory; it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward the latter-day glory, ‘the dispensation of the fulness of times’.”

-          Joseph Smith, “Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith” p 231)

I have been thinking about this for a couple of days. It took me back to when I joined the Church at 18 years of age and I remembered how excited I was as a new member. I was care-free and idealistic. The Gospel was simple: obey the commandments and you will reap the blessings. That was 50 years ago and of course over the years, the hardships of life have taught me that focus is not as simple as that.

We are living in that ‘exciting’ day that Joseph Smith spoke of but this exciting day is not looking so exciting if the focus is on the world. We are surrounded by wars, crime, financial hardship, mental health crisis and more. Sometimes we might think that it is difficult to view our day with all its perils as an exciting time to be alive.

The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times holds within it a big responsibility, a responsibility to build a Millenial society. Like the prophets, priests and kings who looked forward to our day, we might have to look forward to the Millenial Day.

We know it will be a time of peace when the Saviour will reign as the King of Kings so there will be no wars; when all things shall be revealed (D&C 101:23-35); when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord so there will be no persecution of the believers (2 Nephi 30:8-17); when there will be no sickness or death (Isaiah 65:20; D&C 63:51); when Satan will be bound and will tempt no man (D&C 101:28); when ‘whatsoever any man shall ask, it shall be given  him’ (D&C 101:27).

To live in that kind of society means we have to BE that kind of society. We are to survive the turmoil of today by letting God prevail in our lives so that we can enjoy the fulness of tomorrow. If we focus on that ‘tomorrow’, we will see in our mind’s eye peace in turmoil, clarity in confusion, satisfaction in discontent and power in endurance….until the day that we will be able to rest from all our labours and the fulness will be complete…..when He comes to make us free.

 

How can I explain my peace

because of Thee?

Whenever my mind idles,

My thoughts fly to Thee

And I am free;

Whenever my mind empties,

It fills with thoughts of Thee

And I am free;

Whenever my mind wanders,

It finds a path to Thee

And I am free;

Whenever my heart aches

It runs to Thee

And I am free.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Dove of Peace by Doc Christensen)

SALVATION

 

 

I saw You today in my heart and I wept knowing

As more believe, the tree that bore Your weight keeps growing.

I saw the love flow from the deepest

Well within Your soul - Your salvation for us all.

 

My heart was rent knowing Your pain

And the tears You spilt on that day remain.

They are the gems I treasure in my heart…

I am one of Your many children of light. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Way In The Wilderness by Chris Brazelton)

TO PROSPER

 

“Consider President George Q. Cannon’s approach to tithing when he was an impoverished young man. When his bishop commented on the large amount of tithing poor young George was paying, George said something like: ‘Oh Bishop, I’m not paying tithing on what I MAKE. I’m paying tithing on what I WANT to make!’ And the very next year George earned exactly the amount he had paid tithing on the year before!” (Wendy Watson Nelson, “Becoming the Person You Were Born to Be” BYU-Hawaii Devotional for Young Adults Jan 10, 2016)

President Cannon’s example is not a get rich quick scheme but it is the way of taking faith to the next level when an increase in livelihood is needed.

When I was 17 I read about the Church in a library book. I loved everything I read and didn’t find fault with any principles the members were asked to live by. I accepted everything and yearned to be baptized. One Sunday I made my way to the closest chapel during meeting time. I walked past it several times looking at it longingly thinking I was not allowed in because I was not a member. 

For some reason what came into my mind was the law of tithing. I was working in an office full time by then and earning $100 per week. It was a lot 50 years ago. I felt rich. My response to the thought was: “I would gladly give my entire pay to the Church for the privilege of sitting in that building.”  And so began my Church membership and my testimony of the principle of tithing.

I had no problem paying tithing until I was a struggling single mother following my divorce. I learnt that falling behind in paying it made me feel terribly unworthy and inferior in God’s kingdom. I learnt it was not worth being half-hearted in my obedience. Since then, as part of my penance, I have paid my tithing first and foremost before I paid any bills. I made it my biggest priority.

I cannot tell you that I ended up financially well off but I can tell you that something much greater happened. Even though I had wished at certain times of my life that I was more financially secure, the pursuit of something far greater than temporal blessings became my main focus, and this is what became my focus: “true prosperity is the growth in the knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel…” (“Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124)

The Book of Mormon prophets talked at great length about ‘prospering in the land’, Alma in particular (1 Nephi 2:20; 2 Nephi 1:9,20,31; Jarom 1:9; Mosiah 1:7; Alma 36:1,30; 37:13; 38:1; 49:30; 50:20). To understand what true prosperity is, it’s imperative to know what it isn’t. In the scriptural sense prosperity means to have the blessing of being close to God, to be in His presence in this life…because to NOT prosper means to be cut off from His presence: 2 Nephi 1:20; 4:4; Mosiah 7:29; Alma 9:13; Mosiah 1:7; 2:22; Omni 1:6; see also The Book of Mormon Student Manual p 234).

I have never forgotten that moment in time when I was 17 when I regarded the Church far greater than the money I was earning. As a result I have never paid tithing throughout my Church membership in expectation of financial blessings in return.

I have paid it because I wanted to be a worthy member of His Church: worthy of having the truth He had blessed me with; worthy of the commandments He had given me so that I would never become lost; worthy of the trust He had in me to live by the covenants I had made with Him; worthy of the spiritual knowledge He was bestowing upon me; worthy of His Spirit which encircled me in the arms of His love many, many times.

I am not negating temporal blessings here as a result of tithe paying. My patriarchal blessing says if I pay my tithing and offerings I will be blessed beyond my fondest dreams. At first glance, anyone would think that would mean I would be rich in this life……but the scriptures are more right than anyone…… I testify true prosperity has exceeded my fondest dreams….

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: His Love Fills My Heart by Greg Collins)

ODE TO MARY

 

You carried your precious boy

So close to your beating heart,

Hoping it would protect Him

From the fate that would tear you apart.

You stood weeping at the foot of the cross

In the valley of humiliation and death,

Your pain and sorrow unable to suppress.

You are a mother, like no other……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Pieta by Rose Datoc Dall)

BELOVED MASTER

 

The most exhilarating part of the Saviour's earthly life would have to be post resurrection.

Imagine abandoning your profession to be an apostle of a man who claimed to be the Son of God. Imagine all the time you have put in being His disciple, all the hope you had in His promises and His teachings. Imagine the tutoring and the love you have experienced at His side.

Then imagine all of that coming to an end as you saw Him crucified.   Imagine having your witness of His divinity crushed as you saw Him dying on the cross because He would not fight back. Most likely an enormous wave of doubt would flood your whole being. Could the Romans, who were mere men, kill Christ if He was really God?

All hope seemed to be gone. Then on the third day, the grief would not end for the Master whom His disciples loved was gone from the sepulcher where He lay. With haste Peter and John ran to see for themselves the emptiness of the tomb with no doubt the Master’s words echoing in their ears:

“A little while and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me…..ye shall weep and lament….and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy” (John 16:16,20). Did they run to that tomb with hope against hope in His saying that He must rise again from the dead??? (John 20:9). Was it really true???

This was the moment in time when the lives of Peter and John changed forever. The Saviour’s life came to an end but theirs was just beginning. Imagine their joy and excitement as they saw their beloved Master again, in His immortal body, and were given the understanding of the scriptures which spoke of His death and rising from the dead the third day (Luke 24:45,46).

The third time Jesus showed himself to His disciples at the sea of Tiberias, He made it clear what their mission was. Lacking in direction, Peter and some of the Twelve went fishing (John 21:1-3). After all, this is what they knew best but that night they caught nothing.

When in the morning they saw Jesus standing on the shore, they followed his instruction to cast the net on the right side of the ship and when they did so, the net came up full for ‘the multitude of fishes’ (John 21: 6). This was the lesson: they were to ‘feed His sheep’ and be the fishers of men (vs 15-17)

Peter and John were spiritually transformed following the ascension of Him whom they called the Beloved Master (Luke 8:24; Mark 9:5; 13:1; John 13:13). A leader in his own right, appointed by the Saviour himself to hold the keys of the Kingdom (Matthew 16:13-19), Peter became a spiritual giant whose very shadow was believed would heal the sick in the streets (Acts 5:15).  

He accepted graciously the manner of his death as foretold by Jesus (John 21:18,19; 2 Peter: 1:13, 14) and died in Rome during the reign of emperor Nero in 64 A.D. In the Roman Empire, crucifixions took many shapes which are too indelicate to mention (Seneca, Dialogue “To Marcia on Consolation”, in Moral Essays, 6.20.3).

According to tradition, Peter was crucified upside down, a death of his choice having felt unworthy to die in the same manner as his Master. Perhaps his three denials of Him echoed in his pool of memories to the very end (John 13:38; Mark 14:66-72).

And what can we say of John, the most beloved disciple (John 21:7,20) whom the Saviour named the Son of Thunder (Luke 9:52-56: Mark 3:17)?  He who lives still and sorrows for the sins of the world. Peter chose a speedy death to be reunited with the Beloved Master but John chose a more noble path by remaining on the earth to bring souls unto Him until the end of the world. I am in awe of John the Beloved.

I am grateful for the legacy these men left behind, a legacy of faith and works and their powerful testimonies in the words that I am privileged to read.

I had three images for this post. All three done by different artists depicting amazing emotion of expectation and hope of Peter and John as they ran towards the sepulcher. I couldn’t choose which one to use. In the end I used all three across my three platforms, my personal FB page, my FB Group and my Blog. I imagine myself running, like them, when my time comes, to fall at the feet of my Saviour who lives…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Sepulcher by Dan Bur)

HE IS RISEN

 

He Is Risen…..

 

The suffering endured

The power displayed

The love manifested

 

(Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement)

(Matthew 28:6)

The Hope of Israel

King of Nations

The Lord of Hosts

Eternal King

The Son of God

The Balm of Gilead

The Son of Man of Holiness

The King of Zion

The Rock of Heaven

The Son of Righteousness

The Great I am

The Good Shepherd

The Stone of Israel

The Son of Man

The Great Amen

The Mighty One of Jacob

The Shepherd of Israel

The Word of Life

Man of Counsel

The Bright and Morning Star

The Holy One

Endless

Eternal

Messiah

The Lamb of God

The Great Jehovah

The Rock of Our Salvation

The liberator of the captive, the succor of the weak, the balm of the afflicted, the well of all perfection, the fountain of all righteousness…..

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Jesus Ascends by Chris Brazelton)

 

THE RISING

 

With what heavy steps

You approached the garden’s gate!

You suffered, You atoned,

You hung lifeless on the cross,

As you met Your appointed fate.

 

I waited for my turn on earth

And watched with angels

Your rise from the darkened tomb

That could not contain

The magnitude of You.

 

I saw Your glory that shone so bright

Defeating death and making all anew

And I wept for the greatness of hope

That rose with You.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: On The Third Day by Greg Collins) 

HIS WOUNDS AND TEARS

 

The wounds He earned so long ago

Are with Him still today;

The tears are shed for evermore

For lambs that go astray.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus Wept by Mindi Oaten)