Showing posts with label #Christsaves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Christsaves. Show all posts

Thursday, 5 December 2024

THE STAR

 


On His second visit to Jerusalem, Jesus taught at the temple and declared himself to be the light of the world. He testified that ‘he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’ (John 8:12).

The incredulous Jews challenged His testimony because He bore record of Himself defying their law that required the testimony of two witnesses for any question of fact to be true. Jesus acknowledged the law and insisted that there were two witnesses, Himself and His Father (John 8:18).

In reality, there were many more witnesses to this truth. The witnesses that light had come into the world began at His birth. If they had only paid attention….

In his prophecy of Messiah, Balaam, by assumption one of the greatest Magi of them all, prophesied “there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).

Matthew records that ‘there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem’ asking ‘where is the child that is born, the Messiah of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him’ (JST Matthew 2:2a).

Thus, the wise men of the east, as they followed the star to Bethlehem, became the first witnesses of the ‘light of life’ that had come into the world to save the world. One ancient writing claimed that “a Star in the East was to appear two years before the birth of the Messiah” (Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah, 1:211-12).

Much mystique has surrounded the identity of ‘the wise men from the east’ and many an inspirational story written. This assumption, however, seems the closest to the truth:

“They had prophetic insight. They knew the King of the Jews had been born, and they knew that a new star was destined to rise and had arisen in connection with that birth. The probability is they were themselves Jews who lived, as millions of Jews then did, in one of the nations to the East.

“It was the Jews, not the Gentiles, who were acquainted with the scriptures and who were waiting with anxious expectation for the coming of a King……His first witnesses were to come from his own kinsmen, from the House of Israel, not from the Gentile nations composed of those who knew not God and who cared nothing for the spirit of prophecy and revelation found among the Lord’s people.” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 358)

But it doesn’t end there. On the other side of the world Samuel the Lamanite prophesied that ‘great lights in haven’ would appear and that light would remain when the night came: “And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you….that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning…..” (Helaman 14:2-6-12).

Samuel’s prophecy was truly fulfilled when the Saviour was born in Judea and a star did appear according to his words but the greatest witness they had of Jesus Christ as the light of the world came when they sat in darkness for three days following His death, and they heard this voice: “I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end.” (3 Nephi 1:15; 21; 3 Nephi 9:18)

What is spiritual darkness? It is not being able to discern right from wrong. It is not being able to see the truth. It is not being able to recognize the Saviour Jesus Christ as the sole source of our salvation. It means being stiff necked like the Jews of His time. It means looking beyond the mark, like they did.

They looked right past the man who sorrowed for their sins, looking for someone else. It means spiritual blindness within which extinguishes the path that leads home. It means being lost. It means being lost forever.

Follow the star, it will lead you home.

 

Born to be King

Born to bear the scepter of truth,

Born to cleanse my soul within

And deliver me from every sin. 


- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Following the Star by Greg Collins)

Friday, 26 April 2024

THE LESSON IN OBEDIENCE

 

 

The mission I served in, back in the 80s, was very statistically oriented. It was drummed into us missionaries that obedience would yield baptisms. We were expected to baptise someone every month, to teach 15 discussions a week, place at least 1 Book of Mormon a day and make incredible sacrifices such as 100 hour weeks, not open our mail until our preparation day, and even occasionally give up those free days to prepare for the week, bring someone to Church every week and we were not allowed to listen to any music whatsoever, not even Mormon Tabernacle Choir. So high was the expectation placed on us that despite my nice tally of baptisms, I went home feeling like a failure because I had not brought anyone to the waters of baptism for the last seven months of my mission. I worried that all my district leaders I had to report our statistics to, suspected that I was not being obedient in all our missionary rituals and rules. My idealistic self thought I had not done enough.  

 

Abinadi went to his death not knowing that he had 1 convert but knowing he had done enough. He persisted against all odds until he had delivered the message God sent him to deliver and which cost him his life. Through Abinadi’s one convert came the next several generations of prophets who prepared the people for the coming of Jesus Christ among them. Abinadi’s only convert was a man called Alma, who believed all Abinadi testified against his people (Mosiah 17:2).

 

Alma wrote down Abinadi’s extensive preaching and taught it to his followers in secret (Mosiah 17:4; 18:1). Severe persecution from King Noah necessitated this group of faithful followers to flee to safer pastures (Mosiah 18:34). Following their departure, God's prophecies to King Noah and his unrepentant people began to be fulfilled. King Noah suffered death by fire and his people, under the new leadership of his son, Limhi, were taken into bondage by their enemies, the Lamanites.  Alma and his followers, through intricate circumstances, fell into bondage also. The lesson lies in these two groups of people and their respective conversions. The people of Alma repented of their sins when the call to repentance came. As the result of their conversion they covenanted with God through baptism to keep His commandments. The other group who were led by Noah's son Limhi repented out of necessity. Just as Abinadi prophesied, they were 'afflicted, smitten, driven to and fro and burdened according to the desires of their enemies' (Mosiah 21:13). And so the humility came in realising that only God could deliver them from their afflictions (Mosiah 21:4, 14).

 

Herein lies a great lesson. We often think that repentance will be a smooth road and the Lord will jump to rescue us the minute we ask. When Limhi's people could no longer bear the afflictions of their bondage, they began to 'cry mightily to God'....'all day long' begging to be delivered (Mosiah 21:5,14), but God was 'slow to hear their cry' (v 15). Why? Because the Lord can deliver but He cannot erase the consequences of our choices. It is the experience of those consequences that make us think twice about repeating the sin. What He did do was soften the hearts of the Lamanites so that 'they began to ease their burdens' (Mosiah 21:15). In other words, the Lord, because of His mercy, 'softened the blow'.

 

When in bondage, the path to freedom is laced with mercy. The mercy that He extends, however, will not be given at the cost of the lessons we need to learn first. When I left my mission feeling like I failure, I did not realise that I, a young convert to the Church, took home with me the best lesson I could possibly learn, that of obedience. 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: His Mighty Hand by Yongsung Kim)

Friday, 3 November 2023

GOOD THINGS TO COME

 


I watched this week a video detailing the tragic life of deceased Matthew Perry who struggled with alcoholism and prescription drug abuse from age 14. In his interview before his death Perry said he had a spiritual hole that he was always trying to fill with a material thing which just kept perpetrating his need for his addictions. These addictions became so severe that he found himself one day praying to God in desperation for help. As he did so, a light appeared in his room brighter than the sun emanating from a heavenly messenger. Even though he could not discern who it was, Perry said he knew he stood in God’s presence because he had never before been encased in such love as he then felt. This experience afforded him several years of abstinence and well-being, but Perry continued to struggle on and off with his addictions. This led him to open his home to rehabilitation of alcoholics. In one of his final interviews he said he wanted to be remembered for the work he did with people who needed help rather than for being an actor.

In his attempt to persuade the converted Hebrews struggling to stay in the Church, Apostle Paul wrote extensively in his epistle to them about the Saviour offering Himself as sacrifice for our sins that outranked any sacrifice offered by Levite priests. In so doing he named Christ as ‘the high priest of good things to come’ (Hebrews 9:11). Even though this had reference to Christ’s sacrifice bringing us eventually into God’s presence, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland used this description of Jesus to provide encouragement to those struggling in despair here and now. He said:

“There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the ‘light that is endless, that can never be darkened’ (Mosiah 16:9; John 8:12; Revelation 22:16)….To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His ‘more excellent ministry’ with a future of ‘better promises.’ He is your ‘high priest of good things to come’. (An High Priest of Good Things to Come, Ensign, Nov 1999, p 36)

 

I look to Thee to lift me up

When into the depths of sorrow

I sink and comfort cannot find;

I look to Thee to lift me up

When nothing makes sense

In my troubled finite mind.

I look to Thee to lift me up

When forsaken I happen to be;

I look to Thee to lift me up

When trials seek to swallow me.

I will look to Thee to lift me up

When farewell I have to say,

Lift me up with tender mercies

In thine arms to gently lay.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Rescue Me by Yongsung Kim)

Monday, 4 September 2023

JUSTICE AND MERCY

 

 

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

The resurrection is the greatest example of perfect balance between justice and mercy. Here is how it plays out. President Fielding Smith taught that no person who has lived and died on this earth will be denied the resurrection because “Adam alone was responsible for death, and therefore the Lord does not lay this to the charge of any other person. Justice demands that no person who was not responsible for death shall be held responsible for it….” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:274, New Testament Student Manual). This is fairness. Justice also, however, has demands which must be met.

When Christ appears to the world in clouds of glory, He will not come bearing a bouquet of roses. He will come to cleanse the earth of wickedness and subdue all enemies under His feet (D&C 76:61). This means all ‘fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers, thieves, drunkards, revilers, liars, extortioners, murderers’ (1 Corinthians 6:9,10). Herein enters mercy. Because of its existence, even the worst sinners, bar the sons of perdition, will be resurrected to a kingdom of glory, the telestial kingdom. When King David fell from his exaltation, he was assured his soul will not be left in hell.  This part of the resurrection is scripturally referred to as ‘the sure mercies of David’. (Acts 2:25-28; 13:22-37; Isaiah 55:1-4; Psalms 16:10; D&C 132:39).

Without justice, the faithfulness of the just would be of no value, and without mercy none of us could be saved for ‘we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). On judgment day the balance between justice and mercy will be so perfect that none of us will be able to question it. Had the Saviour not bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), we would all be lost……something that is unthinkable to God the Father.  I give thanks that He provided a Saviour who was willing to sink into the unthinkable pit of human agony to save us all.

I have seen your sins

And the years you have lived with futile pride.

I bore your life with crimson drops

And sought forgiveness on your behalf

To pay the price of justice

And mend your broken heart.

I wait for you to come

Into the shadow of my wings,

I have paid the price,

Come unto Me,

Your God and your King. 


- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Time Is At Hand by Danny Hahlbohm)



Monday, 14 August 2023

THE MIRACLE OF SELF-FORGIVENESS

 




 

Paul, who considered himself ‘the least of the apostles’ and not worthy to be called such  because he persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9), stays with us long after we have studied his extensive gospel doctrine epistles, as a spiritual giant who outgrew his small physical stature. When I study his epistles I am amazed at the grand scale of his growth, the depth of his understanding of the doctrine of Christ and his repeated testimony of the only source of our salvation. He will forever be remember as a spiritual giant among men and here is why. Even though Paul testified about God’s grace vehemently and gave credit to it for what he became (1 Corinthians 15:10), he would have had to at one stage forgiven the man who misled him to offend God, and that man was himself. I believe he arrived at that place of self-forgiveness when he could in clear conscience say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul, after years of unrelenting, selfless service became a beacon of hope for all sinners. 

 

It reminds me of another sinner who did the same, Alma the Younger. In his day, Alma the Younger became a living testament of the Saviour's power of deliverance.  Not only because Christ forgave him for his sins and saved him from spiritual death but also because He freed him to become a great man.  After Alma came out of his three days of torment he immediately began to preach of Christ's mercy and His power to save (Mosiah 27:32). Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that he moped around and agonised over his past sins and felt bad about himself. He became a great example of someone who had his guilt ‘taken away from his heart, through the merits of God’s Son’ (Alma 24:10). Alma, who went about with the intent to destroy the Church became Alma who led the Nephite armies in battle, who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons, who was spat upon by the unrepentant, who dumbfounded an anti-Christ, who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4-5), who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19). 

 

When you look at Paul and Alma, do you see broken men with a past or do you see  powerful servants of the Lord?  If you are still 'harrowed' up by your past sins, you are missing the person that you could be.  If you believe you are no good, the Lord can make nothing of you.  In this state you are not good to anyone, not to yourself, not to God, not to your fellowman.  If you have repented of your sins but can't let them go, you are giving them more power than you are giving God. The adversary wants nothing more than for your sins to continue to have power over you, even after you have forsaken them, because he hopes one day you will return to them.  Your forgiveness is not complete until you allow the Saviour to take away your remorse. The power of the Atonement can  complete this process.  The Saviour can extend mercy, He can forgive, He can make of you a new person, He can wipe your slate clean. Believe it, trust it, ask for it.  The Lord has work for you to do and He is waiting. 

 

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN 


(Art: Mortality by Joel Rea)


Sunday, 6 August 2023

FOR OUR FREEDOM

 


 

Some of us live with what others would deem insurmountable mountains to climb whilst some of us live with what others would deem easy obstacles and trials. I don’t know why some are living under extreme earthly conditions while others appear to live in the lap of luxury but I do believe in the wisdom of God and trust that He has us all under His watchful eye. I believe He is the master architect and planner of our eternal welfare. 

 

The Greek word translated as ‘redemption’ means liberation through payment of a ransom. It was a term widely used anciently to refer to payment for slaves in order to set them free. Through the Atonement, the Saviour purchased our freedom from ‘slavery’ to sin and every effect of mortality, including death. There is no sin or condition of mortality that is bigger than the Atonement therefore there is nothing that we cannot be saved from. I think of Alma the Younger being 'in the darkest abyss', his soul being 'racked with eternal torment' (Mosiah 27:28,29). Amidst all that anguish of soul, Alma describes his deliverance with an interesting word. He says he was ‘snatched’ from eternal torment and everlasting burning. Imagine the Saviour's willingness to go to the fires of hell to deliver one of the vilest of sinners. To me this means He would go to the darkest abyss of eternity to rescue us from suffering. 

 

Each of us lives in our own personal slavery. It’s called mortality. I live with the ‘inadequacy syndrome’. No matter how well I am doing, I can always see my faulty side much clearer than my good side. I sometimes fear I am offending God with my very being……..I am a slave to inadequacy and self-criticism....and other mortal weaknesses. Some of us are slaves to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness and a myriad of other mental disorders. All of these bring with them a degree of suffering, no less than more extreme conditions some of us live under. Our sufferings are personalised but our escape is assured. Whether it comes in this life or the next, we WILL be free because of the root of our salvation, the facilitator of our happiness, the well of living water, the fountain of all righteousness, Christ the King. 

 

I long to reside in Your presence;

To never know sadness

Or the wretched heat of my tears.

I know I will be safe there

Where fears cannot find me

And trials cannot scar me.

I know there will be safety

In the shadow of Your wings

My burdens You will lift

And wipe away my sins.


- CATHRYNE ALLEN


Sunday, 30 July 2023

HOW GREAT THE JOY

 

 

 

I have moved house 16 times in the past 28 years. Wherever I go in Sydney, I am met with memories. Over the years, I have suffered much from lack of ‘belonging’. As I reflected recently on the lone existence I have led, I realised that no matter where I live on this earth, I will always feel that I don’t belong. In that moment of realisation, my understanding was opened to a greater truth. I came to comprehend what it means to live in a fallen world, that to be cut off from God’s presence is the greatest tragedy there is. Cain considered his banishment from His presence more than he could bear (Genesis 4:13,14). I am beginning to understand what he meant, now more than ever as I have distanced myself from the world a great deal and have begun to yearn for my heavenly home. We, like the ancients, are strangers and pilgrims on this earth (D&C 45:11-13; Jacob 7:26; Hebrews 11:4-13). A clear reminder to us that we should not get too comfortable here. 

 

During my moment of reflection I also understood the need for the Atonement. I think the Saviour knew in the beginning what it means to be cut off from Father’s presence forever. I think this is why He yearned to save us from this devastation, hence so much emphasis on the sheep that are ‘lost’. A couple of years ago I had a revelation during which I was led to know that the Father loves His First Born Son the most because of what He has done for the rest of His children. Rightly so, because nobody deserves it more. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, I can now yearn for the eternal home and all the noble host of heaven I have left behind knowing that He has paved my way back.

 

How many tears will be shed on judgment day by ‘the lost’ when God’s presence is denied to them forever? Imagine how joyful will be some who enter His presence, to finally be home once again….but how much more joyful will be those who get there and bring somebody else with them…..(D&C 18:15,16)

 

I long to be where I once was,

 

A child in my eternal home.

 

I long to see the God of love

 

And with Him walk the heaven’s floor.


- CATHRYNE ALLEN


(Art by Greg Olsen)


Tuesday, 4 July 2023

AGAINST THE WIND


We very often say that we ‘should’ be Christlike. In fact, the world even judges us Christians by this edict. What we overlook sometimes is that we cannot be Christlike if we do not ‘become’ like Christ by engaging Him in the process of our becoming. When we don’t rely on His enabling power, we are just walking against the wind wishing for the impossible.
Some of us have brought with us spiritual gifts we developed in pre-existence like compassion, patience, tolerance, love, forgiveness. Even if we have these attributes under our belt, they can never equal the level of them that the Saviour possesses. His level is the level of perfection. For instance, I often hear that we should forgive our enemies and those that hurt us abominably like the Saviour did whilst on the cross. I ask, how many of us are capable of such forgiveness in the midst of such excruciating agony? This kind of forgiveness is a higher level that we cannot reach on our own. Forgiveness is central to Christ’s character but not to our own. Comparing us to Christ is like comparing apples to oranges. I had a conversation with a dear sister recently who told me it took her 12 years of intense therapy to forgive someone. I reflected on my own experience of much needed ability to forgive whilst in excruciating pain some years ago, which took only months to obtain through fervent and persistant appealing to the power of the Atonement. By virtue of our discipleship and by being faithful and keeping our covenants, we have ‘increased access to the power of Jesus Christ’ and need not suffer unduly. We can still become free when forgiveness is beyond us. (President Russell M Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest”, Liahona 2022, p 96)
Another example of being ‘Christlike’ is in regards to charity or the pure love of Christ. This is not something that we are capable of, ever, and this is why: The ‘pure’ love means something significant. It means that the Saviour had no motive for self-gratification, self-advancement or self-aggrandizement but that His love motivated Him to put others before Himself, hence the ability to atone for us sinners, as opposed to Satan who wanted advancement of self and nobody else (Moses 4:1-2). Because we are fallen, the natural man tends to gravitate toward focus on ‘self’ rather than others. Also, It is not charity, the pure love LIKE Christ, it is charity, the pure love OF Christ. It is a love that only He is capable of. It is His unique love. We cannot develop it but we can aspire to it through prayerful seeking of it and it will be bestowed upon us if we are ‘true followers of Christ’ (Moroni 7:48). Charity or pure love of Christ is a gift. It is beyond our power to develop for ourselves.
If we don’t focus on the Saviour and His enabling power, we will sink into a river of debilitating ‘shoulds’. We beat ourselves up by our ‘shoulds’ which make us blind to the solution which is always in Christ and His power to heal, deliver, strengthen and endow with such attributes as are needed for us to rise to eventual perfection. He alone can make us like Him.
You enliven my spirit,
You enrich my impoverished heart.
You are the God of power and might;
You make of me what I alone could never be,
You light my way into eternity.

  • CATHRYNE ALLEN 
(Artist: Against the Wind by Liz Lemon Swindle)


 

Thursday, 22 June 2023

THE LION OF JUDAH

 


 

One of the most endearing titles the Saviour has is ‘the Lion of Judah’. It denotes strength and power that balances the picture of the meek and sacrificial Lamb mentioned in Revelation 5:6. The two instances in the scriptures where He is spoken of as the lion are both relative to His protectiveness of the House of Israel (Isaiah 31:4; Hosea 11:9,10). In Hosea, the Saviour laments over Ephraim who has forsaken Him and exclaims, ‘mine heart is turned toward thee, and my mercies are extended to gather thee’ (v 8aJST). Hosea then says ‘He shall roar like a lion and the children shall tremble from the west’ (v10). We Ephraim, in the western hemisphere, have certainly trembled at the sound of His voice as we have been gathered to His earthly kingdom. 

 

On his final visit to the Temple, prior to His crucifixion, the Saviour once again proclaimed His divine Sonship.  For the last time He cried out loud that He who believes Him, believes Him who sent Him (John 12:44). I think of the lion of Judah in Him when I picture this scene. This was the last call to the Jewish nation to believe on Him as the Son of God but instead of belief, the people questioned, ‘who is this Son of Man’ that you say must be lifted up? (v34). 

 

Who is the Son of Man? He is the Son of Man of Holiness, who is God the Father, for Man of Holiness is His name (Moses 5:57); He is the light of the world and whosoever believes in Him will not abide in darkness (John 12:46); He is the Son of God under whose command He came to preach all righteousness and that salvation is through Him and of Him (v49); He is the Father’s servant who came to offer life everlasting to all who believe on His name (v50). He is the bread of life (John 6:35,41,48,51); He is the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5); He is the good shepherd (John 10:11,14); He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25); He is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6).......can you hear the roar???


- CATHRYNE ALLEN 


(Art: The Lion of Judah by Greg Collins)


Thursday, 25 August 2022

PSALMS

 


Psalms have taken on a new meaning for me. I learnt recently that some Psalms were sung anciently at the Passover, in particular 116, 117 and 118. Cast your mind on the last Passover that Jesus celebrated in His mortal life. We know it as the Last Supper. It goes without saying that the Saviour would have sung these particular Psalms with His disciples.

 

Psalm 118 is a Messianic Psalm with a powerful theme of “His mercy endureth forever” which is repeated five times (vs 1, 2, 3, 4, 29). But that is not all. Upon closer reading, this Psalm testifies of the Saviour’s sacrifice. In verse 16 we read: ‘The right hand of the Lord is exalted’. Who is the right hand of God? Jesus Christ. In verse 27, we read: ‘God is the Lord, which hath showed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.’ We cannot dispute that it was the Saviour who has shown us the light. It is the latter part of the verse that is significant to me. The ‘horns of the altar’ in Moses’ tabernacle symbolised Jehovah’s might and power to save. When the officiating priest put sacrificial blood on the horns, it signified that forgiveness can only come through Jehovah’s power. Often a person accused of wrongdoing would flee to the tabernacle and hold onto the horns claiming asylum until he was tried and found guilty. The horns powerfully symbolised salvation. ‘Binding the sacrifice with cords’ can only mean the Saviour’s sacrifice was bound to the horns of the altar and did indeed symbolise that salvation comes only through Him. Likewise, the sacrificial lamb would have been bound with cords as it was being sacrificed upon the altar. Imagine the Saviour singing this Psalm about himself prior to going to His death as the sacrificial lamb of God.  Makes you want to weep…..

 

I have one final thing to say, that adds onto my last post about the need to praise and worship the Lord. It is found in Psalm 117: “O PRAISE THE LORD; all ye nations: PRAISE HIM, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. PRAISE YE THE LORD.” Those of us who have in the depths of our soul gratitude for His merciful sacrifice will shout from the rooftops and praise Him now and forever…..


- CATHRYNE ALLEN


(Artist: Liz Lemon Swindle)


Tuesday, 16 August 2022

THE GREAT MEDIATOR

 



My gratitude for our beloved Saviour was renewed today as I prayed for forgiveness of my shortcomings, my failure to exercise faith when I should, my moments of complaint when going gets tough, my shortsightedness when I need to be brave, my humanity when I need to rise to the true stature of my spirit. As I sorrowed in my heart I reflected on the mercy enabled by the Saviour's atoning sacrifice which has not only afforded forgiveness but has enabled Him to be my mediator with the Father. I understood in that moment that the Father knew my life to the latter because of this merciful mediation of His Beloved Son. I knew that without this medium I would be lost forever. Through it I am granted forgiveness, love, acceptance and assurance of eternal life. May glory be His forever and ever.....

I am lifted to the foot of Thy throne
And speak the words of my longing soul.
I feel Thee Father just a moment away
Because of Him who has paved the way.
I reach for Thy hand
And find Thee there.....

  • CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Father and Son by Danny Hahlbohm)