"GOD'S NOT DEAD" by: Council Member Gerry Mouzis

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." John 1:1-5

Many of us have seen the 2014 feature film entitled "God's Not Dead." For those who have not, I highly recommend it. While there are a number of sub-plots and messages tied thereto, the basic theme of the movie centers on a debate between a college philosophy professor, who is an atheist, and a young freshman student, who is a Christian. As the title indicates, the debate involves whether God is actually dead.

I have always marveled at the concept of the Trinity. From our limited human understanding, it is difficult to grasp. I mean, how can three spirits or beings or life forms be one God? The first five verses of the Gospel of John, however, clearly tell us that, not only is God not dead, but that Christ, the Living Stone, was with God in the beginning. And He gives life. He gives eternal life. (John 10:28.) Then, when Jesus' work was done in this world, God sent his Spirit to live within us so that we can carry on the work of the living Christ.

Many of you know the Christian hymn "There is a Redeemer." The chorus, in the form of a prayer, explains it this way:

Thank you oh my Father,
For giving us Your Son,
And leaving Your Spirit,
'Til the work on Earth is done.

There are times, far too often times, that it does not seem that God lives and, if He does, He certainly does not live within us. We experience losses of loved ones, serious health issues, strife among friends and family, and set-backs and even failures in our Earthly endeavors. We also look at world events and the ever-increasing persecution of Christians. It becomes relatively easy to then question if God is actually dead. God's not dead. Job thought that God had abandoned him, but realized that He had not. As Scripture tells us, God is alive and He lives in us. All we have to do is tap that life source through the study of Scripture, Prayer, and community with Christian brothers and sisters, and the world will see that Christ lives in us.

See you this Sunday as Pastor Fred teaches on the Living Stones.
Gerry

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