Ensign: Dead (or Gone) Too Soon

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                                        6 May 2016


We usually hear someone is "dead too soon" when they're an actor or celebrity or other well known and seen people. Which I expect is NOT most of us reading this. Not that it's impossible for faithful Christians to become actors, celebrities, or other well known and seen people, but past a certain point it's easy and easier to become more seduced by the glory of the lights and attention of man rather than the glory of God. Trust me here, I'm not pointing a finger without three pointing back at me.


How are any of us able to make a determination like that, that someone's dead "too soon"?

Barring the rapture -- the "calling up" of those who have declared Jesus their Savior and Lord (from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, and in fact most of the rest of the Bible) to meet Him in the air -- occurring in our lifetimes, which the older at least that I get I wonder why it hasn't happened or what the heck God is waiting for ... anyway, barring the rapture where we'll be gone, we're all going to die in the middle of doing something. Maybe while writing, maybe while sleeping, maybe ...

It's that pesky 100% mortality rate.

But everyone now alive has this choice to make. Note I said a choice and not a decision. A choice is a course of action you take regardless of which alternative looks better, which alternative is better, the one you want anyway. A decision is a course of action you take based on which is the most advantage or the least hurt to you -- in the case of eternal life, a choice of self-preservation. Forgive my semantics here, but a decision sounds forced, and a choice isn't. Even God can't force it.


If I'm preaching to the choir here, keep in mind choir members quit the church too.


David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with you, and I hope to be an encourager too! If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please let me know -- thank you!

Thank You, Lord, that we can come to you in prayer and that we can count of You to provide for all our needs, even when we don't know what those needs are. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and all over the world.


Thank You, Lord, for everyone in leadership and service, both here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have and the promise of new life through You. And I pray that we will all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.