Ensign: It's Time For An Upgrade

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 23 August 2013

Last Friday I broke my cell phone. This has happened before though not intentionally; I picked up my battery and plugged it back in, put the phone cover back, turned the phone on … but no picture. For the next several days I had a working cell phone – I could make and receive phone calls – but I couldn't see anything on it, so no pictures or texting. Got my replacement, actually a better phone or an “upgrade”, Wednesday the day after I ordered it. And still learning how to work it half the time!

What do cell phones have to do with the gospel message, you ask? More than you might think. Even the one you probably have in your pocket right now (or may even be reading this on; so few people use cell phones to just call people anymore) I bet is not the first one you had. Something broke down or you wanted to do something that your then-phone did not allow you to do and in a few hours or a few days you got your upgrade!

For a Christian, someone who's accepted Jesus Christ the Son of God as their Lord and Savior, an upgrade is pretty much the same thing. Going from death to life – Jesus says this, see John 5:24 – from the certainty of hell to an eternity in heaven, that is very definitely an upgrade! But how does it feel? (dramatic pause) As long as we're on earth, some of the time it feels … not so nice. Okay, most of the time, at least for those of us who pay bills or get sick or have life happen, and so we're happening.

But if salvation were based on how we feel about it from day to day and sometimes from moment to moment (man, I have GOT to write that Ensign about why good things happen to bad people) we'd have to go back to get saved by the grace of God ALL THE TIME. But no, look at the wording in Ephesians 4:5 – you get “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” – and though we receive the grace of God when we ask because we can't be saved without it (see two chapters back) we don't start over again.

We don't have to start over again at square one. You open your eyes after praying the “sinner's prayer” and you're still you. You do not have to give up all the lying, cheating, and stealing that you did before you prayed, but over time you will want to. You'll be asking yourself what pleases God and take your ego out of it (what pleases me?) … this sounds like I'm preaching to the choir, but choir members quit the church too! And all of us could use an upgrade.

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.