True religion is usually shown as being pious, attending church, and making sure we all know or everyone knows that we are followers of God. But what happens when we are put in a situation where we have to face the true reality or the cruel reality that the God that we believe we serve wasn't really who we thought he was? Now you can imagine in the case of many people around the world like myself, when faced with some trial of some kind, there's a part of us that wants to believe that we believe in God but that whole outward shine, that whole outward display of pious or spirituality seems to be tested in those very moments.
This is, young people please calm down, I'm Michael Uzor, and usually when we're doing these videos or all the time we go through historical, contemporary, biblical, and finally personal examples to perfectly dissect this topic of Is God alive?

Historically, Martin Luther King was known as a freedom fighter during the segregation era in the 1950s and 60s of America and was for civil rights and so on. He was a leader actually and so well known he was that he would lead the pack, he was known as a preacher of a church and his father was also a preacher and his grandfather was a preacher down to his great-grandfather so he had a whole line of religious people. Of course, as we know even with that type of upbringing that does not mean that we are suddenly Christians or religious ourselves.
In this case, Martin Luther King was facing all sorts of trials, all sorts of tribulations, and challenges because he decided to side with the blacks who were being persecuted in America at the time. Just a few weeks before Rosa Parks decided to sit on the white side of the bus which caused a big uproar but the moment when Martin Luther King was by himself he received a call from a stranger who threateningly told him that he must leave the area or he will blow his brains out and hurt his family.

Martin Luther King in his strength decides to drink some coffee in order to wear off the weariness that came from this very dark call which was darker than usual because he's of course experienced very dire calls like this. There was a certain darkness that came from this very phone call and Martin Luther King knew that he had simply inherited religion from his father. He was put in a position where his faith was tried and he realized that he didn't get to know God himself.
He couldn't phone his father, he couldn't phone his mother, he was in a position where he had to rely on a strength that was larger than himself because he was failing, he was losing courage, and of course that was going to translate to his followers but then he hears the voice of God telling him: Martin Luther stand up for righteousness, stand up for justice and I'll be with you to the end of the world and suddenly he experiences a tremendous joy that completely changes his mind about his fears.

Joan of Arc was another person who was faced with tremendous trials when she said she heard voices from God telling different people to lead forward and she did inspire many soldiers as she was a female soldier which was very strange at that time in France in the 1400s however the Catholic church at the time or the church did not believe her and they decided to burn her at the stake because of her beliefs. So you can see here that there's a contrast between Martin Luther King and Joan of Arc. While Martin Luther King seemed to have not had faith at the beginning amid his weaknesses and followed God, it seemed as if Joan of Arc was somebody who seemed to have no weaknesses at all, followed God's voice and was brutally punished and isn't that very true contemporary society nowadays?
We have people who have gone through many trials and decided to realize that they are insufficient in themselves and they need a higher power who is God himself to help them through these situations. Others perhaps do not understand that they are insufficient without God, that they are sinners, or give themselves excuses and although they speak about God and Jesus and whoever they follow, there seems to be a lack of understanding of their unrighteousness before the very throne of God himself and people like that can often question if God is alive.
Biblically, in the book of Acts chapter 9 starting from verse 3, we see that Paul is on his way to Damascus and he meets Jesus on the way. Paul was a very zealous man, he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and he took great pleasure in persecuting the church as he believed he was doing the right thing. He saw himself as righteous, as good, he followed the law, and he was blameless.
However, when he encountered Jesus, he realized that he was not righteous at all, that he was a sinner and immediately he submitted to our Lord and said "What shall I do?."
Acts 9:3-6
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
In Acts chapter 22, we see that he is speaking to an audience, and he decides to speak about his experiences before he meets Jesus. He says that as he was complaining to Jesus about his life and what was going on and everything, Paul says that Jesus said to him that he should just go on and leave the city that he's in. It seems as if Jesus has completely forgotten about what Paul did.
Acts 22: 17-21
And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Then in Philippians chapter 3, we see that this same Paul who was the Hebrew of Hebrews, he was a Pharisee and dedicated to the law, says that all that he achieved before was all "dung."
Philippians 3:4-8
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Personally, I've experienced this area of growing up in a Christian home and knowing that I have to come to Jesus myself and once I did, I had to recognize that I was a sinner. I was somebody who was not righteous at all, somebody who had many flaws, many weaknesses, and somebody who needed power, a strength that was higher than myself, and when I understood that I could find this in Jesus, I realized that my faith was truly real and in turn that made God alive and God is alive because when I started this podcast, the Lord actually revealed to me prior that he wanted me to do this and he spoke to me and he said that, "you know, I spend a lot of time thinking about my own worries, my own problems, why don't I spend time thinking and encouraging other people because that is where the joy of the believer is."
There's a God above who is Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who wants a relationship with you and he wants to spend the rest of his life with you and this God who saved me, who has saved countless many around the world, wants to know you and wants to spend time and sup with you and he has called me to say this prayer with you.
If you just repeat everything I say:
Lord Jesus, I come to you as a sinner and I humbly repent for my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord. I believe he died and rose on the third day.
I ask that Jesus come into my life and be my Lord and Saviour and wash me with his precious blood so I may become a part of his wonderful family, the church.
As you've said, welcome to this wonderful family, the church and bride of Jesus Christ. This is Young People Please calm down. I'm Michael Uzor. I'm glad you read this entire article.
Like, share, comment, let me know what you think about the article and I'll see you on the next one.
Comments