Could I for His name?

"You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations...You will be hated by everyone because of My name." (Matthew 10:18, 22)

The National Geographic Channel airs a show called Locked up Abroad that chronicles the stories of men and women from western countries (usually the US and UK) who commit crimes in foreign countries (usually drug related crimes). These men and women are incarcerated under some pretty rough conditions and have limited access to the outside world that they assume will offer them freedom. The entire aim of those who are locked up abroad is to gain their freedom, and they often give tear filled pleas to the camera to the television audience to not repeat the same mistakes that they have. But what if when they were dragged before these judges in foreign courtrooms their goal became not to clear their name but rather to make the name of Jesus famous so that the nations might find hope in Him?

Imagine you were somewhere like Sudan and you were arrested because of your faith in Jesus. Would you stand before their court officials and boldly proclaim the gospel, seeing this as an opportunity that has been providentially arranged for just that moment for the proclamation of the gospel? Would you see your hardship as necessary for His name? Are these things that we believe we could do?

Chances are that if we stay in the safe confines of America we may never find ourselves in front of hostile courts because of our faith (although sometimes it seems that there are some groups in America that would have it that way). But reality also tells us that there are more and more here who despise the name of Christ and want nothing to do with this faith that is our lives. There will be opportunities to stand in front of these skeptics and antagonists and proclaim the glorious name of Jesus. Jesus told us that these times would come and that we would have opposition because of His name.

Are we ready to proclaim the name of Jesus no matter what the opposition threatens, seeing these moments as God-ordained events designed to bear witness of His name to the nations? Oh that the name of Jesus would be famous because of our witness!