Ensign: We're Seeing A Divine Conspiracy

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 17 May 2013

What's bullshit? That you're having a paranoid episode triggered by acute neuro-chemical trauma?

Ah, I thought that would make your eyes widen a bit! But let me explain, this is what a great many people see our faith as, some delusion that convinces us to believe in a Power greater than ourselves Who is done with human affairs yet, and is so concerned about you and I that He sacrificed Himself – for by the doctrine of the Christian Trinity, God is not only God the Creator of heaven and earth and all of us, God is also Jesus Who died on the cross and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, AND God is also the Holy Spirit Who has come to us and enables us to say what we should when we are accused in His name. The fact that you cannot find the term Trinity anywhere in Scripture doesn't invalidate it, anymore than it does that you can't find mention of China or printed circuits.

Or that you're really an invincible secret agent from Mars who's the victim of an interplanetary conspiracy to make him think he's a lowly construction worker?

It's not worded this way in Scripture (I'm paraphrasing an extended quote from the movie Total Recall), but you and I are involved in a conspiracy as well. In this way, it's a conspiracy the devil has to use against us, to convince US that we're less than God created us to be. Happens all the time that we fall for it … it isn't to keep knowledge back from us – doesn't have to do that since Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil back in Genesis – but to keep us from using it to glorify (read honor) God with ourselves. “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge be increased” (Daniel 12:4) has consequences either way. And if we are not careful and prayerful, we will lose sight of ever having being invincible because, just as the word became flesh and dwelt among us, so the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, dwells within us.

Stop punishing yourself. You're a fine, upstanding person.

God. dwells. within. us. No, that's not New Age thinking – that's “We are God” – that's the Holy Spirit talking. When Jesus took the passover before His arrest and death on the cross with His disciples, He said that HE would leave them – He had to, else the Comforter, the Holy Spirit could not come among them (John 14) and by extension, among us. Does this mean we should start speaking in tongues or prophesying? I haven't done so lately, at least not in the “indwelling” way our media often portrays as being … oh, let's say it, a trifle insane. Everyone who is or becomes a believer in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord gets the Holy Spirit indwelling in them, but He – in keeping with the Holy Trinity (God = Jesus = Holy Spirit) – expresses Himself through you and I differently. And that's ok. (See 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 for more details.)

You have an awesome God Who loves you. Your whole life is ahead of you.
And you think the Matrix trilogy or most children's stories aren't mind-bending enough. You have an awesome God Who loves you, and the only thing you're asked to do to get started on eternal life with Him is to believe. Not just believe in Him (even demons believe in God and it freaks them out; James 2:19) but believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (which predicates that Jesus isn't just a teacher, He's Lord; check out Acts 16, the jailer's question) as your Savior too. I know today this message has been preaching to the choir, so if you've stuck with me this far I've got to commend you for it, particularly if you haven't chosen Jesus yet to follow. But the same One Who stands at the door and knocks, at your door and knocks (phrasing's from Revelation 3:20), isn't going to push you. YOU have to open the door to get on the right side of the divine conspiracy.

You've got to want to return to reality,

David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you in my address book, and I hope to be an encourager too! If you find that I’m not or you want me to get lost, just let me know, thank you!

We praise You, Lord, for this beautiful day You have given us! Please pray with me for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and for physical and spiritual communities around our world.

Lord, we need Your strength to fight the natural disasters and human ills to ultimately treat the cause and not just the symptoms; until we who have power change, this world You have made us stewards of won’t either.

Thank You, Lord, for all those in leadership and service here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have been given as well as the promise of new life through Your Son. And may we all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.