Ensign: All The Difference, With Some Differences

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



AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS                                                              28 June 2017

[AND for the last Ensign to come out before I go to my new job with Trinity Health beginning Monday, I tried to find something that would speak to where I've been as well as where I'm going. Over nearly fourteen years at the current job I'm on and typing this from, I have this change to reflect on the One Who doesn't change. I'll be back. -- David]



"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus' answer to Thomas' question at Passover on how to know the way to follow Jesus where He's going (to meet God His Father in heaven) is an indirect one. Indirect because it's really simple.

Instead of answering HOW -- in my best Websterian, that's to ascertain a method of procedure -- Jesus directly told Thomas and the other disciples in earshot not only what HE wanted to know, but also who Jesus Himself really is. I AM, just as God identified Himself to Moses long ago on Mount Sinai (Exodus 3:14). Just as Jesus would identify Himself later to the Sanhedrin (Luke 22) and to Pontius Pilate (John 18) and how He identifies Himself to everybody, even those who don't understand what He means. There are days I don't.


[By the way, I originally wrote this piece nine years ago yesterday; I expect most of the percentages you see in the next paragraph are different now.]



I bring this up because much hubbub has been made this week of the results of a released survey regarding how people believe what they believe. 35,000 adults in the United States were asked whether they truly believed their religion was the one, true way to eternal life. 57% of evangelical church attenders out of that number were cited as believing that many religions can lead to eternal life, while 70% of Americans with a religious affiliation (whatever that is) shared that view and 68% agreed to disagree on how they interpret their religion's teachings. In a nutshell, a majority that considers itself "tolerant" of differences doesn't know or isn't sure WHY they believe their distinct difference.



One of Jesus' parables regarding prayer (Luke 18:1-8) ends "when the Son of man [another title given to Jesus in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy] cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Will we remain (bound) to our belief in God (let me rephrase, remain true to God Himself and not our preconceptions of Him) even as we see ourselves and the world around us change for better and for worse? Note what Jesus will be looking for; not religion, not doctrine, not seminary teaching, but what you and I believe.



The closest the Bible comes to a definition of faith -- Hebrews 11:1's "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" -- asks us to believe something we don't perceive with our own senses. Ultimately, we can only perceive the object of our faith (to Christians, this is Jesus, referred to in verse two as "the author and finisher of our faith") by what we accomplish through faith, and the rest of the chapter's replete with examples of that faith in action expressed through people like us. It's our faith in God, our faith in I AM, even when we don't agree on the mechanics, that will make all the difference in our account before Him.



Sincerely yours,



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 encouragement 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 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.