Some days,
Father, I cannot bear,
The absence of
Your touch.
I cannot wait
for Your embrace
That I have
missed so very much.
In this abyss
of worldly darkness
I stumble but
I fall into the arms of Him
Who lifts me
higher than I can go.
I fly to You,
Father, on my wings of faith,
I sail through
stormy skies,
Seeking for
Thy face.
Look Father,
no hands!
Only trust in
these strong arms
Of my
Saviour’s loving grace.
-
CATHRYNE ALLEN
“There are two kinds of faith. One of them functions
ordinarily in the life of every soul. It is the kind of faith born by
experience; it gives us certainty that a new day will dawn, that spring will
come, that growth will take place. It is the kind of faith that relates us with
confidence to that which is scheduled to happen.
“There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is
the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is
worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise
would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people.
“It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things….It
comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent power, a power
as real and as invisible as electricity. Direct and channeled, it has great
effect….”
-
Boyd
K. Packer, “What is Faith” in FAITH [1983] p 42-3
For now I walk unsteady steps
On this earthly soil beneath my feet
But one day I will run to You
With perfect faith in waves of deep.
And when in distance Your glory beckons,
When You come to take me home,
I will run into Your arms
And forever be Your own.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Focus On Me, Not the Storm by Brent Borup)
I am certain that most of us know the importance of
praying in faith to receive that which we ask for. The Saviour demonstrated this
through the incident
of the fig tree which withered at His word before the eyes of the disciples. After
teaching them the power of faith he added: “And all
things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matt
21:19-22)
There is something that makes prayers even more
powerful and mighty than faith. It is not just faith but faith in Jesus Christ.
Two examples of this come to mind.
During
his interlude with God, Enoch pleaded with Him that He would have ‘mercy upon
Noah and his seed’ (Moses 7:50) but he did so in the most powerful way that a
prayerful plea should ever be uttered. He said: “I ask Thee, O Lord, in the
name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt….”(v50).
In other
words, he did not use Jesus' name as an ending afterthought, like we are
accustomed to do so at the end of our prayers. He began with the Saviour’s name
as an acknowledgement of his faith in the source of power through which his
petition can be answered.
As a
result of his faith in the Saviour and the power of His name, God could not
withhold from covenanting with Enoch that He would grant his petition (v51). So
powerful did Enoch become in speaking ‘the word of the Lord’ that the earth
trembled and the mountains fled (v13). Which word? Without a doubt, he
commanded the mountains to flee in the name of Jesus Christ.
My second example is Alma and Amulek who delivered
themselves from prison. Consider the
powerful expression of Alma’s faith in Jesus Christ by which a miracle of
freedom was brought about: “O Lord, give us strength according to our faith
which is in Christ, even unto deliverance….” And “the earth shook mightily, and
the walls of the prison were rent in twain….and Alma and Amulek, came forth out
of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them
power, according to their faith which was in Christ” (Alma 14:26-28).
The
mountains of our lives can crumble at the mention of His name and the prison
doors of suffering can open. My testimony of this truth is based on experience.
I have written of this before but I will mention it briefly here. During the
greatest trial of my life, my heart was broken in pieces. My petition to God
was not for help but for a healing and the prayer went like this: “Through my
faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the His Atonement, I ask for a healing
of my broken heart…..” I wanted to acknowledge that I knew that true healing
can only come through the saving grace of Christ…. and the healing came.
The Saviour should never be an afterthought in our
prayers, let alone in our lives. The very mention of His name should inspire in
us confidence, faith, hope and reverence. If you want power in your life, you
know where to find it. You are one of the privileged in the world who possess
such knowledge.
I
will look for Thee in faith
My
Lord and my God;
When
I am oppressed,
When
I am unloved,
When
I am wronged.
I
will look for Thee
When
I can walk no more;
And
I will find Thee,
The
Saviour of my soul,
Thou
who waits for those who call
On
Thy name
To
renew their strength,
To
save them from their fall.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Precious Little Ones by Danny Hahlbohm)
This would have to be the
greatest proof that the Old Testament is not a dead book: all scriptures are
very much alive because they contain the word of God and God is not dead. His
word will live forever.
Cast your mind on the
road to Emmaus when the resurrected Saviour joined two travellers who were
discussing the hottest topic of the day, His possible resurrection (Luke 24:13-15).
They told Him they ‘trusted’ the Galilean was the Messiah who would redeem
Israel but were now sceptical because He had died (v 21). It would seem that
nobody besides Isaiah understood the necessity of His death.
The Saviour simply
expounded ‘unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
HIMSELF….beginning at Moses and all the prophets’ (Luke v 27). He thought the written word of the past was
all they needed as proof of the living Christ. The rest came with the witness
of the Holy Ghost which burned within their hearts (v 32).
Now we come to the
greatest man of the Old Testament who testified of Christ, of His birth, His
ministry, His necessary death: Isaiah, whom Jesus quoted more frequently than
He quoted any other prophet. His words have lived through the New Testament,
The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. Why? Because “great are the
words of Isaiah”…..(3 Nephi 23:1) This, from the Saviour’s own mouth.
Isaiah’s prophecy of the
Messiah as a ‘suffering servant’ in earthly ministry who was “despised and
rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” is heart rendering
(Isaiah 53:3-8) and his prophecy of Christ’s Second Coming as the King of Glory when the Saints will praise
His ‘loving kindness and the great goodness toward the House of Israel….to give
unto them that mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes..” a splendour to look forward
to (Isaiah 63:7; 61:3).
How can we ever proclaim
dead the eloquence of Isaiah who announced: “For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This is the prophecy of the living Christ,
the majestic King who will make us His forever.
We cannot think that
anything that has been and gone is dead. If we do, we run the risk of believing
that the very God we worship is dead also. He who has the whole human family in
His hands is more alive than any of us. All that has been will echo throughout
eternity, most especially His words that live on….even the words of the Old
Testament, the root of our beginning.
“For
whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning, that
we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans
15:4)
I
stand in awe of Your sacrifice
And
Your soul’s pain;
The
body freely given
For
nothing of You to remain.
I
ache, I ache,
Knowing
the cost;
Then
I read Your living word
And
I am comforted
Knowing
nothing is lost.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Transcendent Glory by Greg Collins)
“It will be
observed that the testimonies concerning the birth of the Messiah are from two
extremes, the lowly shepherds in the Judean field, and the learned magi from
the far east. We cannot think this is the result of mere chance, but that in it
may be discerned the purpose and wisdom of God.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ,
108)
And so to
the populace of Israel that was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah,
as prophesied, God sent the witness of shepherds who watched over their flock
when the hope of Israel entered the world.
“And it
came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing
which is come to pass….and when they had seen it, they made known abroad the
saying which was told them concerning the child” (Luke 2:15,17)
“But there
were classes of people among the Jews whom these lowly shepherd witnesses could
not reach….and had they been able to reach them, the story of the angel’s
visit, and the concourse of angels singing…would doubtless have been accounted as
an idle tale of superstitious folk….Hence God raised up another class of
witnesses – the wise men from the east – witnesses that could enter the royal
palace of proud King Herod and proud priests of Judea (Talmage, Jesus the
Christ, 109).
When
apostle Paul defended his testimony of Christ, he said to King Agrippa that he
only witnessed to ‘both small and great, saying none other things than those
which the prophets and Moses did say should come’. And then he reiterated that
these things that were prophesied of Christ were not ‘done in a corner’. In
other words, all that was prophesied of Him came true and are known because
they were not hidden (Acts 26:22-26).
Such is the
importance of witnesses. God does not do anything in secret. Neither is He
oblivious to the fact that mere mortals cannot exercise such exceeding faith
that prophecies, warnings and witnesses would not be needed and so he provides
it all and we fail to believe often even with all three. Such has been the
disbelief in the resurrection of Christ despite many witnesses who were
resurrected after Him (Matthew 27:51-53).
When Jesus
prayed for His apostles during the intercessory prayer, He said: “Neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word….that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20,21). This
is us, we are those who believe through the testimony of the prophets, old and
new.
“And many
other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not
written in this book; but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His
name” (John 20:30,31). And so the scriptures become the greatest witness to the
world of the reality of Christ.
Every act of faith, every moment of trust, every revelation, every answer to prayer, every knowledge of truth we acquire, every good thing that builds our testimony in Christ is propelled into the world to open the eyes of some unbeliever.
We too
are witnesses…..
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Tender Shepherd by Eva Koleva Timothy)
Whenever I read the story of the brother of Jared, I
ask myself: what kind of faith does it take for the veil to become so thin that
the Lord was compelled to fully show himself to this man?
Undoubtedly, this faith began the moment the solution
to the problem of light entered into this man’s mind. The solution he came up
with may not have been so unusual since some rabbis and scholars claim that
Noah’s ark had the same illumination and the brother of Jared might have been familiar with
that fact (New Era Dec 2020).
Certainly, the carving out of the stones would have
contributed greatly to his faith in this solution for why would you go to such
trouble if you were not a hundred percent sure that it would work?
Bringing the stones before the Lord and acknowledging
his personal conviction in the Lord’s power to do all things would have added
another decibel to his faith (Ether 3:4). Being specific about the finger would
have taken that faith up another notch.
What amazes me further is this. Once his faith
rendered the veil, everything beyond it was fair game. He was shown not only
the Lord but ‘greater things that never have been manifest before’ (v 18,19,20;
4:4). These greater things are contained in the sealed portion of the Book of
Mormon (Ether 4:4,5).
Much can be written about the brother of Jared’s
experience but my intent here is to show that we need to take note of the
principle of faith that unfolded the whole story. There are two things I find
are of great interest.
Firstly, Moroni indicates that the brother of Jared
was told ‘in times before’ that if he believed in the Lord, He could show him
‘all things’ (Ether 3:26). We can conclude from this that the brother of Jared
had a long-standing relationship with Christ, he had a desire to know the
mysteries of the kingdom and he worked on developing his faith to come to the
point where ‘the Lord could not withhold anything from him’ (Ether 3:26).
We should take note of this, especially in relation to
the promise that the saints of this dispensation have been given as contained
in D&C 76:5-10.
The second point of interest involves us. I have
friends, who like me, are eager to read the sealed portion of the Book of
Mormon. I have always thought the ‘yet unrevealed scriptures’ will one day just
appear and we will get to read them, probably in the Millenium. There is a
catch however.
This is what Moroni was told by the Lord himself referring
to the ‘greater things’, when he was commanded to seal up the portion of the
plates:
“They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day
that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. And
in that day that they shall EXERCISE FAITH IN ME….EVEN AS THE BROTHER OF JARED
DID…..” (Ether 4:7)
The Saviour went further to say that we will need to
be sanctified in Him before He will unfold to us all His revelations (v 7). This
is a sobering thought that tells us we will not get to read these scriptures without
any effort on our part…a serious effort, one that leads to the principle of
repentance and the manifesting faith like we have never known before…..the
manifesting faith of the brother of Jared. Are we up to it????
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)
I have
always been touched by Enoch’s encounter with God as recorded in the Pearl of
Great Price. One particular part touches me to the core.
Enoch
witnessed the sacredness of life in all of God’s creations, including mother
earth. When Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man of Holiness in
the flesh, he was enraptured, but not for long (Moses 7:47).
Enoch looked
upon the earth and he heard a voice from its depth bewailing: “Wo, wo is me,
the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my
children. When shall I rest and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone
forth out of me?” (v 48). And Enoch wept for mother earth (v49).
In the same
vein, Moroni spoke of ‘great pollutions’ upon the face of the earth in the last
days. Today we agonise over environmental pollution upon our planet but ignore
the greatest pollution there is. When
mother earth cried she did not agonise over plastic bags or oil or fossil fuels,
she agonized over spiritual pollution.
In his
conference talk of October 1993, Elder Joe J. Christensen suggested that the
great pollutants spoken in the scriptures of our day are not environmental but
primarily spiritual:
“We all
hear and read a great deal these days about our polluted physical environment –
acid rain, smog, toxic wastes. But there is another kind of pollution that is
much more dangerous – the moral and spiritual.”
(see commentary for Mormon 8:31: “Pollutions in the Last Days” in the
Book of Mormon Institute Manual)
Why would
the earth cry over its’ pollutions? Because it was created for a sacred
purpose: for exaltation of man and the earth’s destiny to become a celestial
habitation (D&C 88:25,26). Man can arrest this purpose by pursuing the
course of evil and ungodliness.
All that
Jehovah has created has a sacred purpose. Consider the ‘choice land’ named
America which has served as the beginning of mankind’s habitation and will be
the end thereof as the New Jerusalem is built upon its soil and serves as the
seat of the theocratic Government during the Millenium from which Jesus will
govern.
There is
one caveat to America’s special status though. This was made very clear to the
Jaredites as they landed upon ‘a land which is choice above all other lands’:
“he that does possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off” (Ether 2:7-10).
This
promise was very much fulfilled. The Jaredites landed in America 2200 B.C. and
were annihilated between 500 and 250 B.C. with the exception of Corinatumr,
their king and last Jaredite survivor who was discovered by the people of
Zarahemla (Omni 1:21).
I am always
amazed at the arrogance of the people of this earth who claim that we can
destroy this vast planet, the perfect workmanship of Jehovah’s hands.
Many
prophecies have been uttered about the earth’s imminent destruction over the
years by ‘false prophets’ in scientific robes, which have never come about. First
it was acid rain, then a hole in the ozone layer, then global warming, then sea
levels rising, then climate change. All this is Satan’s way of undermining the
Saviour’s power of creation.
Yes, we
have a stewardship of this planet which warrants a personal and individual
response but we can never destroy it collectively because we do not have that
power and we can never save it because we are not the Saviour.
This is His
promise: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat,
and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Genesis 8:22) and: “The
earth is full and there is enough and to spare, yea, I PREPARED ALL THINGS…..”
(D&C 104:17). Do we honestly think that because of His foreknowledge, the
Saviour would not have equipped this planet to survive all the environmental
pollution?
In 2018, a
top climate scientist claimed that climate change will wipe out all of humanity
unless we stop using fossil fuels over the next five years. This did not happen
and could never happen and this is why: “The works, and the designs, and the
purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.”
(D&C 3:1)
The earth
will never be destroyed until its appointed time to die and be resurrected and
that at God’s command (D&C 88:18-26; 130:8,9)……..but mankind can be
destroyed for its blatant disregard of the Creator thereof and its
unwillingness to serve and obey Him and only Him….
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: The Creator by Chris Brazelton)
“Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear
death…..yeah, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not
doubt, God would deliver them.” (Alma
56:47)
“The reliance, of course, by these young men on their mothers
is touching and profound, but the mothers first had to know ‘it’ in such a way
that the young men, observing them closely and hearing them (as is always the
case with children observing parents), did ‘not doubt’ that their mothers knew
that ‘it’ was true.” (Elder Neal A.
Maxwell, That My Family Should Partake, p 59)
There is only one way that a woman can be an example
of such staunch faith to her children and that is for her, herself, to be
grounded in the firm foundation which is in Christ. Her knowledge and her
conviction of His help and deliverance from any adverse situation in life has
got to come from experience and her partnership with Christ, and not just from
theory. In the most challenging role on earth, we as mothers, should desire and
seek this partnership above all else. He is the protection, He is the power, He
is the source of all wisdom, knowledge and foresight that our children will
invariably need in their lives. We want them to have this and it starts with us
and this is how:
“Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever.
And ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness
of hope’. You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is
blessing you and He will bless you, even – no, especially – when your days and
your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously,
meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way
through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will
say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their
responsibility as mothers, ‘Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made
thee whole’. And it will make your children whole as well.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Because She Is A
Mother, April 1997 General Conference).
From the mother’s heart comes the love, the care, the
self-sacrifice akin to that of the Saviour’s. I know not of a mother who would not step in
and give her life for that of her child. Not physically nourishing her children
is beyond comprehension but feeding her children with ‘the bread of life’ is
the next level of accomplishment she will be crowned for forever. The mother
whose child recognizes Christ in her has succeeded in her God given role.
Victor Hugo’s 1874 novel “Ninety-Three” explored the
counter-revolutionary revolts which occurred during the period of the French
Revolution. At the beginning of the book, a group of military men encountered a
woman with her baby and her two young children who were starving. The sergeant
took some regulation bread from his pocket and gave it to the mother. She broke
the bread into two fragments and gave them to her children.
“She has kept none for herself”, grumbled the
sergeant.
“Because she is not hungry”, said a soldier.
“Because she is a mother”, said the sergeant.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Farewell My Stripling Warrior by Del Parson)
I am always delighted to read in the scriptures about people who have invoked the blessings of heaven through the use of the Saviour's name. Consider Alma in the Book of Mormon. After days of verbal and physical abuse by their captors, Alma must have realised that just any simple prayer was not going to get him and Amulek out of captivity. Whether Alma thought the only way out was by breaking down the walls of the prison or not, he knew too well where the power to do so lay and his words reflected that knowledge. Alma cried: “O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance” (Alma 14:26). The cords with which they were bound broke and the walls of the prison were ‘rent in twin’ (v 27).
I am passionate about words. Some years ago I studied about their power. It so happened that at the same time, I was going through the worst experience of my life which left me very broken. This led me to study about the Atonement also. I decided there and then that my petition to God for a healing could not be just ordinary pleading for help but would have to express my faith in the power of the Atonement. I carefully worded a plea I uttered many times during the day which began like this: “Through my faith in Jesus Christ and the power of His Atonement, I ask…..” The healing came and everything I asked for in that prayer was given. I emerged a better person than I had ever been and my faith in the Atonement was cemented.
Whether we are in need of freedom from bondage due to sin, rising above a debilitating weakness or in need of emotional or physical healing, our petitions need to be next level prayers which affirm our faith in Christ, because when we do this, we have claim on His power. When we place a petition before the Father’s feet and affirm our faith in His Beloved Son, the gate to the power of the Atonement opens. Petitions so uttered carry much more faith that we will receive than mere prayers with the mention of Christ at the very end. Our petitions are more readily granted when they are uttered through our firm faith in the power of the Son.
Whatever prison you are in, the walls will crumble at the mention of your faith in the Son of the living God. There is nothing He cannot do. That power emerged with Him when He emerged from the tomb.
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.
During his interlude with God, Enoch pleaded with Him that God would have ‘mercy upon Noah and his seed’ (Moses 7:50) but he did so in the most powerful way that a prayerful plea should ever be uttered. He said: “I ask Thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt….”(v50). In other words, he did not use Jesus' name as an ending afterthought, like we are accustomed to do so at the end of our prayers. He began with the Saviour’s name as an acknowledgement of his faith in the source of power through which his petition can be answered. As a result of his faith in the Saviour and the power of His name, God could not withhold from covenanting with Enoch that He would grant his petition (v51). So powerful did Enoch become in speaking ‘the word of the Lord’ that the earth trembled and the mountains fled (v13). Which word? Without a doubt, he commanded the mountains to flee in the name of Jesus Christ. Likewise, the mountains of our lives can crumble at the mention of His name. Like feathers, they can fly before our face. My testimony of this truth is based on experience. Believe in the power of your faith in Him at whose appearing the mountains will flow down at His presence, the elements will melt with fervent heat, the waters will boil and the sun will hide its face in shame (Hebrews 12:29; D&C 133:40-44, 49). Is this not power greater than any mountain on your path?
Who is a God like unto Thee,
Jehovah, our King?
Who sees our frailties, who heeds our pleas;
Who answers in mercy, who forgives in our need
And runs to our relief;
Who carries us in His bosom
As a loving Father would;
Longing to shelter us from sin and from pain,
In the shadow of His hand to forever remain.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art by Liz Lemon Swindle)
Many of us will have begun to set goals as we approach the New Year. I gave up on that futile exercise many years ago. I discovered I don’t do well when I feel compelled to do something, even if that compulsion comes from me. Now I focus on spiritual aspects of my life’s journey more. My focus for next year will be ‘faith’. I have a burning desire to become a woman of faith at a much deeper level than what I have thus far been. This desire is linked to my understanding of faith being a component of righteousness. It has been given me to understand that learning to harness the power of faith is my next step on my life’s journey.
Statistically, setting and reaching goals has very poor results. It has been estimated that 80% of people who set New Year resolutions drop out of the race after the first month. Many of you will disagree and say that goals are important. I understand if this is something you are converted to and have had success doing. The only point I am trying to make here is the highly advantageous surrender to Him who has all wisdom and knows us beyond our mortal understanding, to guide us on the path of our self-improvement and growth. When we are equally yoked with Him in our efforts to change and improve, the odds for succeeding are extremely high. Trusting Him to reveal to us where we should improve next so we can become who we need to be to fulfill our purpose here is where we should invest our finest efforts.
If you are struggling with sin, weakness or addiction, the Saviour is the rudder of your ship when you put out to sea. If you have been floating on the waters of tribulation, He can point the way to the safe harbour and steady the turbulence of the storm so you can rise to your greatest potential. Do not trust in your mortal efforts alone, turn to Him who has all power to overcome and lift you to heights you need to be at. I promise you, if you trust Him to show you the way, you will find His footprints even in the deepest seas……
I will step into deeper waters
And abandon the ground under my feet;
I will wade and look for You,
I will see Your footprints
Even in murky seas.
I will reach and find Your hand
To guide me where I am meant to go
I will trust, I will surrender,
Your purpose for me to know.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: David Bowman)
I read an article the other day that says over 60% of born-again Christians in America believe that Jesus isn't the only way to Heaven; that Buddha and Muhammad are also valid paths to salvation. What's more, over 30% believe that Jesus sinned like all other 'people' and the rest were unsure. The fury of my heart turned to deep sorrow as I felt incredibly confronted and hurt because people were losing faith in the Saviour. I ached for Him and I wondered: 1. If the political correctness of our day has consumed the world to such an extent that it is corrupting our religious beliefs and; 2. If these Christians who are losing their way read and live by the scriptures.
I wish to testify here that the Saviour is the way to salvation besides whom there is no other. I am reminded of some of His disciples who walked away from Him when He declared His Messiahship as He taught in the Capernaum synagogue. When He asked the Twelve: “Will ye also go away?”, Simon Peter answered: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:67,68). To whom indeed???
I wish to testify that there is NONE beside HIM, there is NONE in front of HIM, there is NONE behind HIM. There is NONE ELSE (Isaiah 45:5,6,14,18,22; 46:9; Deut. 4:35; 1 Kings 8:60). Note these references are ALL from the Bible which is available to ALL Christians....not to mention all of Christ's declarations of Himself in the New Testament: "....I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).
I wish to testify that HE is the light, the truth, and the way....He is the Creator, He is the Redeemer, He is the Saviour:
THE CREATOR: Of this earth and us on it;
THE REDEEMER: Of the Fall and inevitable death by granting all of us the gift of resurrection;
THE SAVIOUR: Of our individual sinful state and spiritual death.
Which of the heathen gods that people profess can lead to salvation, can do what He can do and what He has done by His personal sacrifice? NONE, because there is NONE ELSE.
