Hope, Joy, and Peace
In 156 AD, a Roman proconsul tried to get eighty-six-year-old Christian Polycarp to deny Jesus. The proconsul said, “Take the oath and I shall release you. Curse Christ.”
Polycarp replied, “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
Soon a herald announced to the crowd that had gathered to see what would happen to this old Christian who had been arrested for his faith in Jesus: “Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian.” Just as a crowd in Jerusalem had done a little over a century before, the crowd shouted for Polycarp to be executed.
As Polycarp was tied to the stake, he prayed and praised God. There in the city of Smyrna in what is now Turkey, Polycarp died for his faith.
About 90 years later, an Illyrian named Diocletian was born in what is now Croatia. When he was thirty-nine years old, he became emperor of the Roman Empire. Like other Roman emperors, he claimed to be related to a pagan god; in his case, it was Jupiter. During the reign of Diocletian, thousands of believers were put to death.
Growing up in his court was a boy named Constantine. Diocletian had decided to share rule of the Roman Empire with Maximian. Maximian ruled in the western empire and Diocletian in the east. Each of these rulers had a caesar who worked under him. Diocletian’s caesar was Constantius. The boy Constantine was Constantius’ son. Constantius went to the western empire to govern under Maximian, but he left his son Constantine in the court of Diocletian.
Constantius succeeded Maximian as ruler of the western empire when Maximian abdicated. When Constantius died, his son Constantine took his place.
Even after growing up in the court of a great persecutor of Christians, Constantine brought about a change in the Roman Empire that could have hardly been imagined during the reigns of early emperors. He put his faith in Jesus Christ.
Along with the ruler of the eastern Roman Empire, he declared that Christians would no longer be persecuted and that Christianity would be tolerated as an acceptable religion in the entire Roman Empire.
Just fifty-four years after Constantine’s death, Roman Emperor Theodosius I made pagan worship illegal in the Roman Empire. Christianity legal and paganism illegal. As we say around here, “Who’d a thunk it?!”
Now, granted, Constantine still made mistakes — a lot of them — and the new relationship between church and state had both good and bad consequences. My point is not to endorse Constantine or to say we need a state religion today. My point is that God can turn things around in a very powerful way. Paganism illegal; persecutions ended; an Emperor who believes in Jesus. As I said before, “Who’d a thunk it!”
Satan wants us to think: “Face the facts. You can’t do anything. Things are never going to be any better than they are now. You might as well give up.”
God wants us to think very differently.
Now may the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you will abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
God is amazing. This reminds me of the verse 2Chr 7:14
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
It’s been done before and can be done now. 🙂
Again and again! Thanks for the reminder!
All I can say is “Amen”. Third world countries are experiencing great revival and seeing miracles through great persecution and squalor. As I have heard a preacher say recently, it’s never too late for America, until Jesus returns and takes the Holy Spirit along with His bride out of this world. Until then, we just keep praying and hoping.
What encouraging words from your preacher! And, I love to hear what God is doing in other countries. I have heard about the idea of Christians in other countries sending missionaries to America. I hope they will!
Amen!
I love to hear when people agree!
I just want to thank you for all the great posts that show up in my inbox on a regular basis. So many times your words were exactly what my heart needed that day. It’s fantastic to feel that I have a kindred spirit out there.
Thank you for this sweet encouragement, Joanie. I’m glad to know I have a kindred spirit, too.