Ensign: The Grace Bucket Challenge

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                                        19 September 2014

For some months now, videos have been posted and challenges have been made for people to either dump a bucket of ice water over their heads or give money to the ALS Association, to bring both attention to the condition and fund the research for a cure. ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a nerve degeneration disease that eventually renders whoever's got it incapable of moving. So far it's raised over one hundred million dollars in the United States alone, and aspects of it have gone worldwide.

Today's title comes from something Pastor Gerald at my church said in Sunday morning worship some weeks ago; I told him I'd use it, so I hope this message does not disappoint! One of the facets of the ice bucket challenge is that not only do you take it (that is, pour the ice bucket over your head) or give money -- and there's people who've done both -- you ask others to do so under the same conditions; that is, they dump an ice bucket over their heads, or they give money, or both.

How far this will go, I have no idea. But the point Pastor Gerald was making, using the visual aids of a broom and rug, is that we tend to forget or ignore the things that annoy us. Hence the need for challenges like this. It seems people are willing to have fun for what they perceive as a good cause for a present perspective, but they are not willing to go that out of the way for what they perceive as a good (and we've asked this before -- WHO is defining what is good? If it's you, we're all in trouble!) cause from an eternal perspective. Does this mean all of us need to become missionaries?

Well ... yes. Not necessarily to travel from your home to some far-off land, but what about a part of town you don't usually go to? What about a part of your street? Some people want to be invited, want to be acknowledged for existing so badly that if you give them recognition they will follow you anywhere.

Too many people say -- I'm sure you and I have met a few -- that the reason they will not go to church (I'm not talking about the building, I'm talking about the New Testament sense of church, which means assembly of believers) is because that's where all the hypocrites are. We should concede that.

But when we assemble and we are honest with ourselves -- God knows it already -- we're the hypocrites who admit it! And because we have broken some law of our God's, whether we've stolen or killed or idolized (can't think of a word that would simply convey the second commandment right now) or adulterized (is that even a word?), we have shot our chances full of holes of ever getting into heaven!

It DOES make hell sound easier to get into, doesn't it? Because to get there, you don't have to do anything, you don't have to be worthy of it. Just don't ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, just don't ask for your sins -- your acts of separation from God Who is without sin (do the math: God is without separation from God) -- to be forgiven. Just ... don't.

Welcome back to life. An unrepentant sinner will never have much of one, no matter what you see on TV. ALL you can ultimately claim is that you, upon acceptance of Jesus the Son of God for Who He is and asking forgiveness for your acts against God, are a sinner saved by God's grace. Not because you deserve it (you and I definitely don't deserve it) but because you accept it. It's a gift.

God's grace is still pouring out all over the world. Perhaps it's time to be willing to receive it.

David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch, and I hope to encourage you too! If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please tell me -- thank you!

I praise and I thank You, Lord, that we can come to You in prayer and that You provide for all our needs, even when we don't always know what they are. We pray as You ask for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides on the fence and all around the world.

I praise and I thank You, Lord, for all who are in leadership and service both here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have along with the promise of new life in You! AND I pray that we are all seeking and are preparing to have the most blessed and blessing week ever! Amen.