Ensign: With All The Damns And Hells Back In Place
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 31 December 2015
I know, today's does not exactly sound like the ideal title for an ostensibly Christian devotional, does it? And for a year-end summary of where me and my family have been and what we have done, it sounds kind of depressing. But my reasons for lifting this line from one of Ray Bradbury's afterwords in response to a publisher's removing any foul language whatsoever from an edition of his novel Fahrenheit 451 (which he DID NOT approve of -- the publisher's changes, not his own book) will become apparent enough, I think. And relevant to this audience, at 2015's end.
For summer vacation we went to South Dakota just before school started for Sarah now in fourth grade and Jeffrey in third. This fall I've made the transition from regular glasses to bifocals and I've also taken on duty as a co-den leader for my son's Bear Scout troop. Martha's dad Robert retired in November from the job he had held for forty-six years and is still acclimating -- in my view, at least -- to not going in in the morning. And I have no doubt the "honey, do" list for him is getting longer and longer ...
I relate, or I'm guessing I will.
But I digress. Besides my still working full-time at a payday loan provider, Martha is still with a local health care provider as a document services assistant (one of the people printing out the endless forms you seem to fill out in hospitals) and also works part-time at a local fast-food restaurant. May this be the last year that Martha and I have to trade off years alternating working second jobs; we and our kids both deserve better than that! And Sarah and Jeffrey stand to our shoulders right now and act like the tween years are coming early!
*sticking my tongue out here*
Then we have church. More accurately, we have the assembly of believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the only way to heaven being through Him. Still teaching Sunday School there (Parable Playhouse, essentially Bible stories with puppets) am I, and Martha and the kids still sing in their respective choirs, and one thing I especially like that we have added there is a one or two sentence introduction before the Scripture readings. For I hate to say it ... but not as many people even read their Bibles anymore, especially many who profess to believe in its doctrines.
Shame. Especially on me.
You who attend church regularly and those who read these devotional posts, know that we're not deliberately trying to deceive you, but our own knowledge in many areas regarding God and His relationship to us is always going to be deficient because we're not God. Who would want His job? Especially when you have to present that there is ONE choice in life that will ultimately matter. If we're going to say there is a heaven where God is, there is most definitely hell where He is not. Yes, that one you want to avoid ... I would say it needs to come back to our understanding of God,
But perhaps it has never gone away.
Happy New Year,
David
P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you and I pray I am an encouragement. If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please let me know -- thank you!
Thank You, Lord, that we are able to come to You in praise and prayer, and also that You have promised to provide for all our needs according to Your riche sin glory, even when we don't know what to ask for. Please, Lord, help me -- help us all -- to pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and around the world.
Thank You, Lord, for each of us and all those in leadership and service both here and abroad. Thank You, Lord, for the opportunities we are given here along with the promise of new life through You -- and may we all seek and have a blessed week and start 2016! Amen.
AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 31 December 2015
I know, today's does not exactly sound like the ideal title for an ostensibly Christian devotional, does it? And for a year-end summary of where me and my family have been and what we have done, it sounds kind of depressing. But my reasons for lifting this line from one of Ray Bradbury's afterwords in response to a publisher's removing any foul language whatsoever from an edition of his novel Fahrenheit 451 (which he DID NOT approve of -- the publisher's changes, not his own book) will become apparent enough, I think. And relevant to this audience, at 2015's end.
For summer vacation we went to South Dakota just before school started for Sarah now in fourth grade and Jeffrey in third. This fall I've made the transition from regular glasses to bifocals and I've also taken on duty as a co-den leader for my son's Bear Scout troop. Martha's dad Robert retired in November from the job he had held for forty-six years and is still acclimating -- in my view, at least -- to not going in in the morning. And I have no doubt the "honey, do" list for him is getting longer and longer ...
I relate, or I'm guessing I will.
But I digress. Besides my still working full-time at a payday loan provider, Martha is still with a local health care provider as a document services assistant (one of the people printing out the endless forms you seem to fill out in hospitals) and also works part-time at a local fast-food restaurant. May this be the last year that Martha and I have to trade off years alternating working second jobs; we and our kids both deserve better than that! And Sarah and Jeffrey stand to our shoulders right now and act like the tween years are coming early!
*sticking my tongue out here*
Then we have church. More accurately, we have the assembly of believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the only way to heaven being through Him. Still teaching Sunday School there (Parable Playhouse, essentially Bible stories with puppets) am I, and Martha and the kids still sing in their respective choirs, and one thing I especially like that we have added there is a one or two sentence introduction before the Scripture readings. For I hate to say it ... but not as many people even read their Bibles anymore, especially many who profess to believe in its doctrines.
Shame. Especially on me.
You who attend church regularly and those who read these devotional posts, know that we're not deliberately trying to deceive you, but our own knowledge in many areas regarding God and His relationship to us is always going to be deficient because we're not God. Who would want His job? Especially when you have to present that there is ONE choice in life that will ultimately matter. If we're going to say there is a heaven where God is, there is most definitely hell where He is not. Yes, that one you want to avoid ... I would say it needs to come back to our understanding of God,
But perhaps it has never gone away.
Happy New Year,
David
P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you and I pray I am an encouragement. If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please let me know -- thank you!
Thank You, Lord, that we are able to come to You in praise and prayer, and also that You have promised to provide for all our needs according to Your riche sin glory, even when we don't know what to ask for. Please, Lord, help me -- help us all -- to pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and around the world.
Thank You, Lord, for each of us and all those in leadership and service both here and abroad. Thank You, Lord, for the opportunities we are given here along with the promise of new life through You -- and may we all seek and have a blessed week and start 2016! Amen.
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