Our God Whom We Serve Is Able
14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 …if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Daniel 3:14-18
In the 6th century BC, three young men stood up for their faith in the one true God, for which someone attempted to kill them. Today, in the 21st century AD, one young man was gunned down for his faith in the one true God. And sadly, Charlie Kirk is not the only one. According to The Esther Project, martyrdom for the cause of Christ is commonplace around the world (theestherproject.com/statistics). On average:
- 322 Christians are killed monthly.
- 214 churches or Christian properties are destroyed monthly.
- 772 forms of violence (beatings, kidnappings, etc.) against Christians are committed monthly.
- 100,000 to 160,000 Christians are killed annually in the 21st century.
- 1.093 million Christians were martyred between 2000 and 2010.
- And more than 70 million Christians are believed to have been martyred since the 1st century, with more than half killed in the 20th century alone under communist and fascist governments.
And how should Christians respond? Peter wrote, “if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but glorify God in this name”
(I Peter 4:16). Jesus took this a step further; He told us, “…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Now, as Shawn Grant, minister at Kissimmee Christian Church, FL, preached on the Sunday following the assassination, that may not be what you want to hear right now, but that is what Jesus has told us we must do. Why? So the world will see the difference Jesus makes!
The night of and the days after the assassination, businesses did not have to board up their stores. Police and soldiers did not have to be deployed. There were no riots, no property damages, no police spat upon – only tears, prayers, and a witness to the world that Jesus is the answer. So noticeable is this to the world, there were more international press requests for the Charlie Kirk memorial service than are requested for Super Bowls. Within seven days of his death, Kirk’s ministry Turning Point USA had received over 54,000 campus chapter requests. And most importantly, scores of videos of young people considering or even deciding to give their lives to Jesus have been posted to social media platforms.
Because of his unique place in history, most of us may not be able to have the scale of impact Charlie Kirk’s life and death are having. But that doesn’t matter. The question we all must ask is: Am I having an impact on
anyone
for Jesus? If not, then what are we doing? Just going to church services so we feel good about ourselves? Going through the motions so we feel like we’re good parents?
Are you having an impact for the Kingdom of God? Can any and all people with whom you come into contact tell that Christ is your King, reigning on the throne of your heart?
Is it always easy? NO. Could it even be dangerous? YES. That doesn’t mean you have to pack up your family and take them to the most dangerous mission fields. Jesus just asks of you to be faithful, to DAILY walk with Him, with the resulting consequence that people see you walking with Jesus!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers”. Unfortunately, just as there are many who love fresh baked bread, but don’t put forth the effort to make bread, there are far too many Christians who love peace, but don’t put forth the effort to be a peacemaker. It is imperative that we regularly check the alignment of our worldview so that it is Biblical and our eyes are fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) as we “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). We can do so, even in the face of the most menacing opposition, because, as those three young men in Daniel 3 so confidently declared, “our God whom we serve is able” to do great things, including in your life and mine. He is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Therefore, as the bearers of Christ’s name, we shine forth His light, remembering, as Taya Smith sings:
There is another in the fire standing next to me…
And should I ever need reminding
What power sets me free
There is a grave that holds no body
And now that power lives in me.
