TO BE ONE

 

 

There are two reasons why the Father loves the Son. And He loves Him and favours Him above all others, and this is why:

1. Because of what He has done for the rest of His children by way of salvation. Love is a two way street and nobody loves the Father more than the Son. If we loved Him as much, we would be sinless also.

2. In Jesus’ words: ‘I do ALWAYS those things that please Him’ (John 8:29). The operative word here is ‘always’…..not sometimes because I have to please other people  too and not sometimes because I have to please myself also…….but always….. I do the right thing ALWAYS to bring joy and delight to my Father….for I am a dutiful Son.

Through His relentless obedience, the Saviour grew one with the Father before this world even began. He gained the status of a God before worlds were rolled into existence. In fact, worlds came into existence BECAUSE He became a God (Moses 1:33). He became like the Father in every instance. The Father’s will became His will. The Father’s power became His power. The Father’s glory became His glory. Can you imagine such oneness??? And because of this oneness, Christ inherited all the Father has.

I suspect there is so much more to this theory than we can possibly fathom here and now. There is so much we do not understand in this life that we are given to know. Truth that is discerned only through the manifestations of the spirit are sometimes difficult to access when we are so busy trying to decipher the complexities of our mundane earthly lives. But I do know one thing. We are now being prepared, through the Gospel of His Son, to be brought back into the presence of the Father. The oneness has to begin here and now. There is only one sure way to achieve this and that is by emulating the life of the Son. Pleasing the Father should be our only objective, not anybody else, and most certainly not ourselves. In a world where ‘living MY truth’ has become supreme, this can be a challenge on many levels. When we can say with sincerity of heart: ‘I always do those things that please Him’, we have arrived to the oneness with God. Then when all this is over and we have been sanctified, we can step into His presence with surety that we belong there….no, we will not step, we will run…..

 

I yearn to remember the splendour of my eternal home;

I yearn to feel the closeness of Thy presence

And the warmth of Thy embrace.

Grant me Father might to follow Thee,

And desire to always seek Thy face,

That we might be one through Thy Son’s eternal grace.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art AI Generated by unknown) 

IN ALIGNMENT

 

When I was baptized at 18 years of age, I said to the missionaries who baptized me: “I will never give a talk and I will never go on a mission”. Three months later I was giving my first talk and when I turned 21 I knew I had to go on a mission. My resistance was hard to overcome. I simply did not want to go. As my obstinacy grew, it began to nurture criticism of the Church. I became troubled to the point where I was driven to my knees. Shortly after my prayer, the confirmation was given of what I already knew and was resisting so hard and I was reborn. My attitude about everything changed and all my fears and concerns went away. I fulfilled an honourable mission which strengthened my convert’s heart. That was 45 years ago. I did the right thing but I missed a very big lesson which is this: when you are not in alignment with God, you are swimming against the tide.

Like a lot of people, I like to ride on a roller coaster of worrying over my life to the point where I would periodically hit rock bottom in my mental health. Then God would lift me up and give me clarity, and then I would walk on air until the next wave of my cycle hit. The last wave was affecting me far too much until I was enlightened to understand that I needed to step up on my ladder of faith. I understood in that moment that this would solve everything I had concerns about. As soon as I came to this understanding, my spirits rose and I understood the path that was God’s purpose for me. I knew the direction I was to take and I was stunned at the instant turn-around in my emotional well-being. I also realized that I experienced this quick turn around every time God lifted me up and I chose to follow His counsel.

Whatever it is that is preventing you from being in alignment with God, it will always produce fears, doubts, concerns, worries, and a myriad of other negative emotions that tear us down. If you are in the grip of an addiction and sin, you will feel a dislike of self and a barrier between you and God. When you are in alignment, all this goes away. This is called peace. We had sufficient faith in this earth life before we were born. We had faith that it could give us the desired end and we had faith in ourselves that we would allow God to guide us to that end. Now that we are here, it is time to allow Him to travel that road with us and to save us from unnecessary turmoil that we inflict upon ourselves. He will give us wisdom, He will give us peace, He will give us life eternal.

I will look to Thee to lift me up

When into the depths of sorrow

I sink and comfort cannot find;

I will look to Thee to lift me up

When nothing makes sense

In my troubled finite mind.

I will look to Thee to lift me up

When forsaken I happen to be;

I will 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)

A MOTHER'S PATH

 

There were among the host of heaven many noble and great ones without whom Father’s Plan of Salvation would have come to naught (Abraham 3:22-23). The noblest of them all was Jehovah, the Firstborn (v 24). Along the many noble sons of God were female counterparts without whom also the Plan would have come to naught. The first that comes to mind is Mother Eve but my greatest admiration goes to Mary, the chosen vessel to bear the Son of God. The purity of her character could never be disputed but the devotion to God the Father that Jesus would have learnt at her knee is unsurpassable.

Jesus would have fulfilled His role as the Saviour no matter what mother He had because that’s who He is, but Mary’s pious devotion to God that He was raised with would have made His journey to the Garden easier. It tells you a lot about parenting skills. I am convinced that Mary’s compliant submission when a young girl in the presence of angel Gabriel paved the way for Christ’s supernal ‘Thy will be done’ in Gethsemane (Luke 1:26-38; 22:42). Like mother, like son.

I wonder if Mary recognized her part in Christ’s acceptance of the cross when her heart was breaking. I hope against hope that her pain was lessened knowing she brought up a dutiful son. I hope she reflected on the holiness of His birth and on the purpose for which He was born. I hope she knew the boy she mothered was the God she pledged long ago to accompany to the cross. I hope she saw on that cross the God of her salvation and gave thanks for her boy. I hope she wept good tears also.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus and Mother Mary by Liz Lemon Swindle)