Yesterday an auditorium quickly filled almost to overflowing with tough hardened men. They had voluntarily come to hear Honey Lake Church Pastor Kenny Munds offer some songs and to hear a word of encouragement, and to hear some “good news” from me.
They were hungry for what the Spirit had to say and after it ended, lines of them formed to come by and shake hands and offer thanks for our taking the time to come see them and share the good news. It was heart-warming to see so many people reaching out to Jesus.
When I got home my wife had laid a stack of letters on my desk from men and women who also thanked me for sharing the good news only this time via my book, Miracle on Luckie Street.
What all of these folks had in common was that they were all incarcerated. As I made the long drive home from Orlando I thought about them and the struggles that they have endured. One of them, who had very nearly completed his 10 year stretch, most of it served in a violent prison not far from my home, told me that prison was the best thing that ever happened to him, because without it, he would never have had a relationship with Jesus Christ.
That alone had made all that he had suffered worthwhile to him.
A friend of mine’s mother is very close to being called home to be with the Lord. When I got home she had written me and said that her mother’s life had been filled with tragedy and the ancient African-American gospel song: Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen – Nobody but Jesus reminded her of the struggles and torment that her mom had seen and endured during her life. She also mentioned another song that reminded her of her mom: “What a Wonderful World”. Her mother used to say, “Because it is!”
Is this a paradox?
1 Peter 5:10 states: In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.
She found her firm foundation through the troubles she had seen!
This verse speaks to me, as well as the inmates, and my friend who is grieving, and an entire host of people all over the world. We must all share in the suffering of Christ so that at last we might be “overjoyed” through it: 1 Peter 4:13, But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Many people have told me that the amount of suffering that our family has endured in the last several months has been over the top. Indeed my devastating neck and back surgery and long agonizing pain filled recovery, and my wife’s horrid fight against breast cancer, and many other bumps in the road which I won’t go into seem excessive.
However it may seem like an illogical paradox, I am sincerely joyful for my suffering.
In James 1 it states: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. I have finally reached that point in my life and quite frankly I never thought I would. I appreciate the trials I have gone through during my life and the ones I’m going through right now. I think I finally understand the meaning of this verse. I’m not a masochist, but I comprehend what the Holy Spirit was saying through David Wilkerson when he said, “All true passion for Christ comes from a baptism of anguish”. And like the prisoner that realizes that if he had never gone through prison for ten years he would never have seen the revelation of the glory of Jesus Christ. If we lived a perfect life free from any suffering neither would we. Thus when we suffer we are drawn closer to Him and that is something to be joyful about.
If you are suffering today, read these verses over and over. Listen to the Spirit . . .
Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church (or somewhere) this Sunday and celebrate the love that almighty God has for you. If you choose not to go to church, what a terrible testimony to your lack of appreciation for what Christ did for you on the cross.
2 Cor. 4:10
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
June 26, 2015 – Click here to listen