Good News, Bad News
July 9th, 2009 Do you remember the old jokes that included the phrase, “I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news”? Well, I’ve got bad news and I’ve got good news.
First, let me tell you that if someday you find that new articles are not being posted at this site, it will simply mean that God stopped giving me clear direction as to what should be written. I have no desire at all to spend time writing down my opinions about anything. Those would not be worth a hill of beans anyway. So far, though, God has been faithful in guiding me with these articles.
The last few nights, however, seemed to me like He might have stopped. Although I spent much time in prayer, no guidance appeared to be forthcoming. At the same time, I seemed to be stuck in my Bible reading. I had been reading Isaiah, but I could not get past chapters 24 and 25. I kept reading them over and over and over for several nights. Finally, it hit me like a ball bat to the side of the head. God wanted you to read those two chapters, too.
With that as a point of departure I am going to just write a few verses from each of those two chapters in order to give you an idea of what is in them. Chapter 24 is bad news, but chapter 25 is good news. Please read slowly the following excerpts, knowing as I do that when God says something is going to happen, you can bet your last dollar that it is definitely going to happen. You and I are going to see these things. Let’s begin with Isaiah 24, a chapter you probably haven’t heard read in most of our modern churches.
“See, the lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it;
He will ruin its face ad scatter its inhabitants - it will be the same
for the priest as for the people
for master as for servant
for mistress as her maid
for seller as for buyer
for borrower as for lender
for debtor as for creditor.
The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered.
The Lord has spoken this word.
The earth dries up and withers,
the world languishes and withers,
the exalted of the earth languish.
The earth is defiled by its people;
they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes,
and broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up
and very few are left.” Isaiah 24:1-6.
“In that day the Lord will punish
the powers in the heavens above
and the kings on the earth below.
They will be herded together
like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished after many days.
The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed,
for the Lord will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and before its elders gloriously.” Isaiah 24;21-23.
Our God and Creator said these things will happen, and they will. As I said, you and I will see it, maybe soon. But the good news is in chapter 25:
“O lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things,
things you planned long ago.” Isaiah 25:1.
He will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces;
He will remove the disgrace of His people from the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
In that day they will say,
Surely this is our God;
we trusted in Him and He saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in Him;
let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:8-9.
If you have any dread at all of the coming Chapter 24 events, repent, make Jesus the Lord of your life right now, and from here on, and you will be a part of Chapter 25. We all have choices. Make yours the right one.
