THE VALUE OF COMMITMENT

 

The Ascension of Jesus Christ N3041by Edit Voros

“Those who in fright have sought to secure themselves by worshipping other gods will experience in sheer terror the effects of Yahweh’s decree of destruction.”  (The Interpreter’s Bible, 5:317, Old Testament Student Manual Book 2 p 163)

“Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God, Thus saith the Lord God to thee mountains, to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places, and your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead carcasses of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars…..” (Ezekiel 6:3-5)

The idolatry of Judah which led to the destruction of their kingdom was abominable. So total was their rejection of Jehovah who was their God from the time He delivered them from Egyptian bondage that the idolatry they practised became a complete replacement of the true law within the Jerusalem temple. In utter rejection of their God, Ezekiel was shown in a vision twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east worshipping the sun (Ezekiel 8:16).

The proclamations of destruction against those who engage in the sin of idolatry are extensive in the book of Ezekiel. One could ask why the Saviour is so outraged about this heinous sin to the point where He would destroy so many people. In his day, Isaiah, confronted the rulers of Jerusalem with the assertion that they were bringing inevitable ruin for the Jewish people (see Isaiah 28:14-15). He accused them of having made a covenant with death through the idolatry of gods other than their own, death being ‘the wages of sin’ (Romans 6:23).

Whilst in pre-mortal life, as spirit children of God, the plan of salvation was presented to us and we pledged our commitment to Christ trusting in His promise to save us. Considering the enormous and unfathomable sacrifice of this man of integrity, our commitment to Him as our God is expected of us. In return, we receive His protection, life instead of destruction and eternal salvation opposed to spiritual death which would separate us from the presence of God the Father forever. For this He has every right to expect our allegiance to Him:

“I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8)

In every respect He deserves all the glory and all our praise.

Idolatry is still rife in the world today, among many nations. I have a friend who visited Bali early this year and she was blown away by the kindness, thoughtfulness and goodness of the Balinese people. There is only one problem. They worship many gods and none are the right God. My friend said they were better people than some of the Christians she knows. She thought it would be unfair that they would be judged harshly.

This is where the Saviour’s mercy comes in for those heathen nations that have never known Him: “And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them.” (D&C 45:54)

Is there a more merciful, just and loving Saviour than the Lord Jesus Christ??? I think not. Those of us who know the law have a responsibility to uphold our commitment to Him and those who have not known Him in this life will one day remember Him and the right hand they raised in support of His offer of 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.

 

-       CATHRYNE ALLEN 

YOU COME TO ME

 

Jesus Christ Portrait by Edit Voros

You come to me to dispel the darkness

And embrace me in the splendour of Your light.

Even in the midst of Your Godly moments

You attend to the needs of my heart.

I give my all to You who are

My wings of protection,

The Saviour of my soul,

The path to my eternal home.

 

-       Cathryne Allen

STEADFASTNESS OF GOD

 

Crucifixion of Jesus Christ by Edit Voros

Imagine if God called you to a calling in the Church and told you your calling will yield no success in any way. The people will be not be interested in what you do, they will not listen to you and your efforts will be wasted. Yet He told you He wanted you to do it and if you didn’t do it, He would make you accountable on Judgment Day for their sins. Would you do it?

This was Ezekiel’s life in exile. Having been appointed as a ‘watchman unto the house of Israel’ in Babylonia, God made it clear to Ezekiel that if he didn’t step up to this responsibility, He would hold him responsible for Israel’s sins (Ezekiel 3:17-21).

And this is an interesting thing….Ezekiel was instructed of God to stage the predictions of the fall of Kingdom of Judah which one could say were nothing short of theatrics (see chapters 4 and 5). He wanted the exiles to know of the fate of the rebellious house of Israel and thus call them to repentance. With every instruction the Lord gave Ezekiel, He told him the people will not believe him because ‘the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted’ (Ezekiel 2:7).

Six times He called the Israelites ‘a rebellious house’ (Ezekiel 2:5,6,7,9,26,27). And not only would they not believe him but they would gather to listen to him and consider him as entertainment (Ezekiel 33:30-33). Imagine an ancient amphitheatre with eager Jews clutching buckets of popcorn in anticipation to hear ‘the latest crazy thing’  Ezekiel had to tell them and show them. My heart bleeds when I read about this man…..

I am amazed that Jehovah would even waste His time with those He knows would not repent. Because of His foreknowledge, He knew which one of us would be saved and which would be lost. You would think because of this foreknowledge the Saviour didn’t have to atone for everyone. It would certainly lessen the pain of Gethsemane. Yet He hung on the cross despite His power to end it, until every soul was accounted and atoned for, until He could say: “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Most of us would say it is because of His love and mercy. We seem to focus on these two attributes the most these days but the Saviour is a God with the full spectrum of emotions and a perfect balance of attributes. I have been collecting evidence of this through the scriptures for years. I have come across numerous scriptures too lengthy to list here where He speaks of His fury, anger and even hatred when He deals with unrepentant people and nations.

 I will mention a couple in Ezekiel: “I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury…” (35:5,6); “I will send mine anger upon thee…mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense thy ways upon thee….and all thine abominations” (7:3). In fact, the exact phrase “neither will I have pity” shows up three more times in Ezekiel – 7:9; 8:18 and 9:10. In the last three scriptures the Lord pairs it with “mine eye shall not spare”, as part of a warning of judgment on persistent wickedness.

We can be assured that God’s mercy and love has a different side to it than we think. It also manifests itself as chastisement. If we need correction and misfortune to bring us back to Him, He will bring such upon us without hesitation. I have an inactive daughter who no longer lives the Gospel. I have done everything possible for her over the years. When I came to the end of my self-sacrificial road for her and could do no more, I left her in God’s hands. I no longer even pray for her because I am aware that she might have to be brought down to her knees to repent and return. If I prayed for her protection, ease and comfort in her current state, these blessings might just be the worse thing for her so I refrain not wanting to sabotage her progress and trust God to know best what she needs for her repentance.

Why would the Lord be so steadfast in doing whatever is necessary to ensure our return? Because He is where the salvation lies. He didn’t climb up onto that cross at Calvary for fun. If he was willing to save us back then, He is willing still. And thank goodness for that because without chastening some of would never reach the heights of salvation but would end up like spoilt, insufferable children not capable of much in this life or the next. And that is just not acceptable.

I stood on holy ground of your fragile heart

And saw your tender moments

Bathed in hurtful tears.

I saw your sins that you tried in vain to hide,

And the years you 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 

TO WATCH AND TO WARN

 

Return Unto Me by Annie Henrie Nader

“In ancient Israel walls were built around cities, and towers were erected in key places along the walls. Watchmen, or lookouts, kept watch in these towers day and night to warn the people if an enemy came. A watchman’s responsibility was great, because if he was negligent, his sloth could cost the lives of others.

“The Church today stands in a position to see the enemy and how he works, because they have living prophets who speak for God. They are therefore called by the Saviour both to warn the wicked and to protect Zion. Thus the Lord refers to His authorized servants today as watchmen upon the towers (see Isiah 62:6; Ezekiel 33:2-9; D&C Student Manual p 239-240)

In Section 101 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord extends a warning of destruction that will come upon all nations in our dispensation but ‘all who are found upon the watch-tower shall be saved’ (v 12).

One of my favourite Old Testament prophets was Ezekiel. He was called to be ‘the watchman upon the tower unto the House of Israel’, who were the exiles in Babylonia, for a period of twenty-two years, from 592 to 570 (see Guide to the Scriptures). We are about to study this period of Israel’s captivity and the calling of Ezekiel, a prophet who can reduce you to tears. Through him, Jehovah extended the promise of forgiveness and restoration of all former blessings to Israel. He was the bearer of hope.

Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel. Whereas Jeremiah was a prophet sent to Judah's kings and leaders soon to be conquered and Daniel, a prophet sent to preach to the conquerors, Ezekiel was called of God to be "a watchman unto the house of Israel" in captivity (Ezekiel 33:7). He was a priest of the family of Zadok and was carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar during the second siege of Jerusalem around 597 B.C.

 

As a prophet called to preach to the exiles and captives, the Lord laid upon him an immense burden of calling to repentance what He constantly referred to as "a rebellious house" and an "impudent and hardhearted people" (Ezekiel 2:4-7; 3:6-7). The house of Judah had become so wicked that the Lord told Jeremiah: “Don't pray for them or try to make intercession for them for I will not hear you." (Jeremiah 7:16-18). Considering the Saviour's immensely merciful character, it would have taken a lot for Him to say this. Judah was ready for destruction and so Jerusalem was sacked by the Chaldeans three times before Christ and by the Romans in 70 A.D. decimating the kingdom and scattering the Jews throughout the world.

 

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Chaldeans (Babylon), had hoped to subdue the kingdom of Judah twice and requested they pay him homage but the kings of Judah would not submit and instead sought political alliance with Egypt, something that Jeremiah warned them not to do. By the third siege Nebuchadnezzar had had enough. He built a wall around Jerusalem so no one could escape and no supplies could be brought in. The siege lasted 18 months. The starvation of the people was so severe they resorted to cannibalism. By the time Nebuchadnezzar had finished, Jerusalem was levelled to rubble.

 

Ezekiel was shown in visions all the perversions of the Jews and the winding up scenes of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. So horrendous were his visions that they made him weep. Following his visions the Lord instructed him to teach the people in exile of what was happening in Jerusalem through the most intricate object lessons. No internet for him to make things easier..... The first eleven chapters of Ezekiel speak of these object lessons and the horrors that befell Jerusalem. In these eleven chapters Jehovah says “ye shall know that I am the Lord” 17 times. It makes for heart wrenching reading....

 

The most fascinating lesson that lies within the chapters of Ezekiel is that the Lord did not turn His back on the house of Judah in captivity and left them alone to suffer the consequences of their sins. He ensured their exile would bring them to the point of repentance. He proved through Ezekiel that His mercy will always step in to save His chosen people and that His constant focus is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).

 

So effective was Ezekiel’s teaching that the Jewish people never again returned to idolatry. It was in exile that Judah remembered their God and became overzealous for His laws. It was a great turning point in Israel's religious life. Unfortunately, in becoming overzealous, they also became ‘stiff-necked’ with their adherence to the convoluted law of Moses so they ‘looked beyond the mark’ and missed the Messiah when He came among them. And we all know the result of that.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

IN HIS LOVING EMBRACE

Comfort in the Cold by Chris Brazelton

I want to know the greatness of You,

To understand Your godhood

And all that you do.

I want to feel the depth of

Your benevolent heart;

To hide in its shadow,

And from there never to part.

I want to follow every word

That falls from Your merciful lips,

I want to give all that You ask

Without reservation of my proud heart.

I would give this and more besides

To once again know the tender caress

Of Your unfailing loving embrace.

- Cathryne Allen 

ON PERMISSIVENESS

 

“The growing permissiveness in modern society gravely concerns us. Certainly our Heavenly Father is distressed with the increasing inroads among his children of such insidious sins as adultery and fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, abortions, pornography, population control, alcoholism, domestic violence, child abuse, dishonesty,  vandalism, violence, and crime generally, including the sin of living together without marriage.

“We call upon our Church members everywhere to renew their efforts to strengthen the home and to honour their parents, and to build better communications between parent and child.

“Important as it is, building stronger homes is not enough in the fight against rising permissiveness. We therefore urge Church members as citizens to lift their voices, to join others in unceasingly combating, in their communities and beyond, the inroads of pornography and the general flaunting of permissiveness. Let us vigorously oppose the shocking developments which encourage the old sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, and which define the human body as the temple of God….

“God will not be mocked. His laws are immutable. True repentance is rewarded by forgiveness, but sin brings the sting of death….

“As we think back upon the experiences of Nineveh, Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah, we wonder – will history repeat itself? What of our world today? Are we forgetting in our great nations the high and lofty principles which can preserve the nations?

“When the patience of the Lord with us is exhausted, shall we stand trembling while destruction comes upon us? Or shall we wisely see the handwriting on the wall and profit by the sad experience of the past and return unto the Lord and serve him?”

-          (Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, October 1977, pp 5-7; or Ensign Nov 1977, pp 5-6)

This warning was given to us in 1977. Since then we have added these blatant sins, amongst others: human trafficking, organised gang rapes, butchering of our bodies through sex change, numerous sexual orientations, gender identities and sex variations,  mothers murdering their children, full term abortion, rogue judges who acquit criminals thus perpetrating further crime, government fraud, government sponsored drug inducing centres, abduction of children and most heinously an increase in murder. We have permitted it all in the name of ‘progressiveness’. We have lifted ourselves above all the laws and call ourselves civilised and progressive….when in fact we are collectively just a plain, evil society bereft of peace and a sound mind.

In 1800s the Prophet Joseph Smith prophesied of a time when no one would have peace except in Zion: “I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mother. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of Man has said that the mother shall be against the daughter and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will range, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these tings will take place.” (History of the Church, 3:391)

This is the true picture of our society. At one stage I was following the ‘true crimes’ Youtube channel. It was all about murder and in each instance I could predict it was either the husband or wife or one of children. It was so amazing to me and made me remember Joseph Smith’s vision. I couldn’t watch that channel for very long.

I agree with President Kimball about history. The dangerous thing about it is that history repeats itself. The destruction that came to ancient cities will one day come to us because God will indeed not be mocked. Evil will be wiped off the face of the earth together with all those who have upheld it.

When the Saviour comes again He will subdue all enemies under his feet and most of all his archenemy Lucifer, Satan, the devil, the father of all lies who so shrewdly and subtly leads us “by the neck with a flaxen cord” to do his bidding, until he binds us with “his strong cords forever” (2 Nephi 26:22).

We are here on a spiritual battle ground. How’s your armour???  (Ephesians 6:11-18)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

EACH DAY I LIFT

 

Dawn of Faith by Greg Collins

Each day I lift more and more,

On wings of faith

I fly to God I know.

In realms of splendour

I will find my home of old

And return to Him

Who has missed me so.

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN