God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust. A Must See Movie for EVERY Christian!

You’ll be surprised that this week’s Monday Morning Blog will be brief, but I pray impactful. At least, that’s my plan as I sit down and write to you my trusted readers during a time of great turmoil and difficulty in my family when I considered not taking the time or energy to write a blog this week. But the Lord, gave me one of those “ah ha” moments I’m always writing about, and I knew I must share it with you. I’ll also close with a personal prayer request, which I don’t often use this platform to do.

My husband and I enjoy watching the weekend Mike Huckabee show. Last Saturday night, Huckabee introduced the movie, “God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust”, the 5^th in the God’s Not Dead franchise. I was shocked that this was the first time I heard about it since it releases in theaters September 12! Then Huckabee interviewed the stars of the movie, David A. R. White and Scott Baio. Even Huckabee has a cameo role. When they revealed that the theme was about Christians and politics, I knew exactly why social media had silenced it. My ears perked up.

If you’ve read my recent blogs, which I list at the end of this blog, you know I’m a firm believer that it’s our Christian duty to vote our faith beliefs, support Christians running for office, and maybe even run for office ourselves if the Lord leads.  

The movie mirrors exactly what’s happening in our culture today where as many as 40 million Christians don’t want to be involved in politics or vote. Alarmingly, only 1 in 3 Christians vote! Many Christians consider politics “dirty” and subscribe to the myth that the Gospel and politics should be separate. Yet, if those 40 million Christians would vote their faith, every election would turn out different. Our country would be different. Our schools would be different. Our families would be different. Our schools would be different. Our laws would be different. Our media would be different.  It’s a travesty that more Christians don’t see that.

Christians don’t run from opposing views; we run to them with the Gospel! We confront issues with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Heb. 4:12

In the movie, White plays his reoccurring “God’s Not Dead” role of Reverand David Hill who grapples with throwing his hat and Bible into the political arena where his arch nemesis is running on stamping out God in the culture and public square. Does that sound like our culture and political world today?

Scott Baio, who typically plays a good guy, plays a bad guy plotting against Pastor Dave’s campaign. The movie depicts what I’ve said so many times: the real battle we’re in right now is not just political it’s spiritual. God doesn’t tell Christians to retreat from a spiritual battle but to suit up in our armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and enter the battle. Not avoid or ignore it. Not be complacent with an “I don’t want to get involved attitude.”

God’s timing in releasing a powerful film like “God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust” at such a time as this before the important November election, is as always, perfect! White said it’s almost like God-breathed it purposefully. The film depicts our current culture with what Christians need to see and understand. Huckabee agrees that American Christians must see the film because it inspires us to know that our vote really does count and makes a difference.

The internal battle Pastor Dave goes through in the movie is whether there’s a godly way to enter the political arena. We see and feel his struggle.

Scott Baio says he believes in the mission of the movie. He bravely and boldly spoke at the 2016 Republican Convention knowing that Hollywood would blackball him, which they did. He said he was OK with it because, “My country is more important than me.” He went on to say, “My daughter is more important than me. I will do whatever I can to keep my country what I remember it as, which was a God-fearing, respectful, law-abiding country.”

I agree with Huckabee who said that people who don’t want to get involved in politics, don’t want any of that “political stuff because it’s just dirty,” need to go see the movie.  Then decide whether you should vote and support those Christians who are willing to step into the lions’ den of politics.

Faith begins where your comfort zone ends!

Huckabee and His Daughter Sarah Understand the Importance of Christians Being in Politics!

Mike Huckabee is a familiar face in political commentaries and circles today, but many people forget or don’t know that he was a pastor who preached for 12 years in Arkansas pulpits before he became a governor and, later, a 2008 and 2016 presidential candidate. While he was governor (1996-2007), he maintained his pastoral instincts.

“I think it’s the greatest preparation that a person can have for public service,” he told Religious News Service in a 2007 interview. “Somebody says they want to talk about the issue of the elderly, I’ve dealt with those folks. I’ve dealt with a 14-year-old girl who’s pregnant and hasn’t told her parents yet. I’ve talked to the young couple who’s head over heels in debt. … I think it gives you a real perspective about people and what they’re going through that’s important.”

While he was pastor of Beech Street First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Ark., from 1986 to 1992, Huckabee was the youngest president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, a job that helped prompt him to think about switching from pastoring to politics. Pastor David Uth, the leader of First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., told RNS that in that post, Huckabee worked to calm differences between moderate and conservative Baptists in his home state.

Pastor turned politician Mike Huckabee’s Christian daughter Sarah Huckabee Sanders followed her dad’s interest in politics and was President Trump’s press secretary for two years and then went on to become the youngest and first female Governor of Arkansas. Like her dad, she governs from a biblical conservative Christian worldview. Aren’t we glad that Christians like the Huckabees are willing to take their faith into the public square and make a difference in politics and government.

Mike Huckabee said he still misses his congregants, but he views his move to politics as an extension of what he’s done before: “It is in itself a ministry.”

Like the Huckabees, Hal Lindsey emphasizes why it’s so important that Christians get involved in the political government even if just by voting our faith.

“Politicians decide the laws that we must all obey. They set up the bureaucracies that create the millions of pages of regulations that we must also obey. They decide things that have an enormous influence on how we live our lives. They tax us, and they send our children to war.

“As their name implies, politicians set policies. Those policies have a powerful influence on things like inflation. Government policies can destroy jobs and even whole industries. Those policies can be the difference between full grocery store shelves and empty ones. They also have a vast influence on the abundance or scarcity in your own cupboard! We vote on the people who decide the curricula of our children’s schools. Politicians and their policies can be the difference between safety in the streets, or chaos. These things are enormously important. We should vote and be involved.” Hal Lindsey

It’s true that the “deep state” doesn’t have more power than the Lord God who is omnipotent, but God gave us the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells in the heart of every Christian. God expects us to tap into that power and use it in the spiritual cultural war of good versus evil. There is no such thing as a powerless, ineffective, complacent Christian, only those who may choose to suppress their God-given right and responsibility to apply that power in the public square with a simple but powerful vote!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Eph. 3:20-21

My Faith Votes! Does Yours?

Each of us has the power and ability within us to make a difference in this world. As you’ve read before, like Mike Huckabee I see being involved in the political arena as a ministry. God has led me to be an Idaho Area Coordinator for My Faith Votes, a ministry that encourage Christians to vote their values and their faith and help turn this country back to God. I believe it’s our civic, Christian, and patriotic duty and responsibility to vote, not just for ourselves, but for generations to come including those innocent voices that are being silenced in the womb before they even have a chance at life.

Pastor/Governor Huckabee is an Honorary National My Faith Votes Chairman. Dr. Ben Carson is the founding My Faith Votes Chairman and Dr. David Jeremiah, President of Turning Point Ministry, is an influential voice supporting My Faith Votes. Pastor Allen Jackson gave an interview on The Church’s Role in Shaping America. These Christian stalwarts do not see a wall between Christianity and politics, but instead an opportunity to bring biblical worldview back into government.

For the upcoming election, My Faith Votes has an easy yet powerful way you can get involved in this election right from your home. Write Now is a movement encouraging Christians in swing states who are registered but haven’t voted in recent elections, to cast their vote for biblical values in what might be one of the most important elections in our lifetime that could literally decide if we become a Communist country or remain free! Won’t you please check it out. All you’ll need to do is provide stamps and envelopes. You’ll receive a list of names and addresses and a template letter to print out, pray over, and mail. You can specify how many names you want. All of mine happen to be in Arizona!

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. Ps. 119:165

Be sure you watch the trailer for God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust and find out more about the film and where to buy tickets.

If you haven’t read my previous blogs this month, I hope you’ll read them now.

Jesus the Great Divider

The Lies Satan Uses to Deceive Christians and Churches

When Did Normal Become Weird?

Personal Prayer Request. Almost 6 weeks ago, when my husband Dave and I returned from a wonderful trip to see a grandson get married in North Carolina, Dave started experiencing pain in the back of his thighs which quickly moved up to his lower back. He’s lost strength in his legs and can’t walk without a walker and extreme pain. We’re waiting results of an MRI. Our prayer request is that they will be definitive and wisdom for the doctors and us to determine a course of treatment. Thank you for your prayers. Sorry this blog wasn’t as short as I promised you.

Please leave a comment here and I’ll reply.