July 1, 2010
Dr. Allen Barber
When we study the prophets of the Bible, they share a common thread - they warn of judgment in clear bold language that everyone can understand, even language we may find offensive today. However, they also wrote about the good that is to come for the people of God. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Zephaniah, Zechariah, etc, prophesied "doom and gloom," but they also looked beyond the period when Christ returns to establish His kingdom upon the earth. Both Jeremiah and Isaiah complained to God of having to preach judgment and seeing their message and themselves rejected by the people. Jeremiah was lowered into a cistern in mud up to his armpits and tradition says Isaiah was sawn in half. Many of God's prophets suffered terrible persecution as they were hated by the people God sent them to forewarn of His judgments. However, in the midst of very bad situations they could still praise God and prophesy of a new day when God will right all wrongs and wipe away all tears:
Isaiah 60:15-21
15 "Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. 16 You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. 18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. 19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. 21 Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. NIV
In the passage from II Timothy 3, which Paul wrote from prison, he describes a future time from his day that could be taken from most news headlines today. It seems almost every day we hear of murder; rape; theft; child molestation; missing children; divorce; racial slurs and hatred; pregnant wives brutally murdered by their husbands; young college coeds missing whose bodies are later found mutilated; mothers drowning their children; fathers killing their own daughters because of religious tradition; homosexuals parading shamelessly in the streets; terrorists cutting the heads off their victims; etc. There seems more bad in the world than good. How do we react in a bad world growing even darker by the minute? How do we keep our perspective when the morning news is usually not positive? Moreover, if these are the beginning of sorrows with the promise of worse things to come, how do we find any good to rejoice about and how do we have the joy Jesus spoke about In John 15:11?
Church history reveals that the Apostle Paul was in prison twice in Rome and wrote many of his epistles or letters while incarcerated. Ephesians is one of the prison letters and perhaps the most inspiring of all Paul's letters and lifts our spirits to the "heavens:"
Ephesians 1:3-23
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. 15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. NASB
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. NASB
My friends, it does not get any better than what Paul wrote in the above "high praise" Scripture. The only way we can have a positive mental, emotional, and spiritual outlook in a bad, bad world, is to keep our focus upon the Lord and our eyes in His Word. When you need encouragement, read the Scriptures particularly the passage like the one in Ephesians and the Psalms. Don't attempt to find the peace of God that passes all understanding in some romance novel or TV program. Let the Scriptures encourage you and pray always for strength to face each days challenges. Then, Like Chuck Swindoll says, don't allow the cesspool of the world to cause you to overlook the good things God lays in your path "daily." One of the best ways to have the joy of the Lord aside from meditating on the Word, praying, and fellowshiping with the saints, is to help someone. Sometimes just a smile can make a someone's day. Most people in this old ugly world are hurting and need someone to say, "I care." When is the last time you saw a homeless person walking down the street with his earthly belongings strapped to his back and stopped to ask if they needed a meal or some warm clothes - more importantly tell him about Jesus?
A couple of years ago during the week before Christmas, I was in my home office and the doorbell rang. A man in poor attire wanted to paint our house number on the street curb for $20.My first thought was I am busy and do not have time for this. He also wanted cash only. To send him on his way, I told him I did not have $20 in cash and besides I thought that his price was too high. He politely said, thank you Sir, and have a merry Christmas. I had no sooner closed the door when the Holy Spirit told me to call the man back and pay him the $20 dollars. I opened the door and asked him to come back and wait while I went to the bank and got the $20. I was busy, that is the truth, but the Lord told me to stop and help this man. When I returned from the bank with the $20, I was about to give him the money when the Holy Spirit again spoke and said, "Give him one of those many Bibles you have in your office and not a cheap one." I located a new genuine leather Bible and placed the plan of salvation in John Chapter 3. When I gave him the $20, I handed him the Bible and asked him if he would take it and read it and he said he would. This being Christmas I told him the real Christmas story. He thanked me, told me his name (Gary), and said, God bless you. He also did a good job painting our house number on the curb.
After he left, I sat back down at my computer and soon realized my spirit was much lighter and the joy of the Lord began to flood my soul. You know why? I obeyed the Lord to share the gospel with a homeless person (he was wearing the typical backpack I have seen the homeless people wear and was probably trying to make a few bucks). I probably should have asked him inside and given him something to eat, but he was going from house to house and probably needed to make hay while it was daylight.
Men like Gary are the flowers God places in our path and serving them are the good things in a bad, bad world. Don't let this old bad world get you down; find someone to serve today, even if it is just to say, "good morning and may God bless you." If you practice this, you will find your joy never wanes. The kind of joy the Lord gives is not temporary and fleeting like the world's, but it abides in our hearts continually.
God bless you all.