God's Not Dead-Reality Check

Several months ago, a group of youth and adults attended the movie "God's Not Dead" together.  The premise of the movie is that a professor asks each student in his class to write God's Dead and sign it--then he will forgo the class on the mythical God and each student will pass.  While most students see this as nothing and write the words and sign, one student can not--he cannot go against what he believes to be true.  And the movie plays out from there.

In recent weeks and months, our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq, Syria, and other places in the Middle East are asked to denounce Jesus--to denounce their Christian faith.  Some news has reported the beheading of children who refuse to denounce their faith.  Others, I would assume simply do so, because they think what is in the words--and if they have a chance to live--why not!?! 

We live in a country that is flawed, but we do have a freedom to worship in the way we believe.  Granted, some of us don't go to the place of worship, but if pushed, I think most of us would say we believe in Jesus, and that Jesus is our savior.  We take for granted this freedom and in some ways we waste the opportunities to witness, freely, as God commands.  We fail to witness to each other by staying home, we fail to witness to the community because we have too many other pressing issues, or we feel we don't have the time or money. 

What if we lived in a place where we experience a real threat to our earthly lives?  Would we take our faith for granted?  Would we get quiet and claim to believe something else?  Would we out and out convert?  I guess the question really is, do you believe?  Do you trust in the abundant live Jesus has given you?  Are you thankful?  How do you respond?

I am very troubled that the church, ours included has not intentionally done something. I prayed last evening for this specific situation, praying for families and children, and praying that I too would be strong enough if someone came to my door with this ultimatum. 

I don't have an answer.  I don't have a request.  I will invite you into this struggle, a struggle of faith and commitment.  We can pray--we can remember--we can do something.  God's Not Dead, Jesus is risen! 

And when we struggle, we can meditate on Mark 9: 23-24: 
And Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." 24Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."