The title of this post is the prophetic words of Christian martyr Charlie Kirk, who lost his life on September 10th to a cowardly assassin. And make no mistake, Charlie was a martyr. A martyr is someone who is killed because of their religious (or other) beliefs. There is no question that Charlie was a passionate believer in Jesus Christ, and he was a fearless witness to the Gospel of the Kingdom. And, in case you are unfamiliar with Charlie's work for the Kingdom, I will testify of his courage and boldness in proclaiming God's Biblical Truth. And if you want to hear him, in his own words, there are hundreds of videos on YouTube of his conversations with the public and people in the media.
In addition, Charlie loved his country, and he felt called to speak out in response to the Marxist, Socialist, and anti-God rhetoric that has invaded the classrooms of our colleges across the land. As a teenager, he decided he wanted to make a difference and began engaging with other college students, giving them confidence to speak up when they disagreed with a professor -- even when threatened with poor grades or expulsion. That passion turned into the founding in 2012 of Turning Point USA, an American nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses. By the way, Charlie was only 19 years old at the time he founded his organization.
Turning Point USA was not founded to be controversial or confrontational, violent, or threatening. It was established as an opportunity for young people to come together and share their differences of opinion through civil discourse. No rioting, no fire-bombing, no physical attacks on those who thought different than you. In fact, Charlie's goal was to help young people begin to think for themselves, re-teaching them how to think critically; a skill that has all but vanished from the halls of higher academia. Charlie's modus operandi was to challenge these students to seek out the truth of their belief systems so they could elucidate what they believed and why.
His most effective method was to set up a tent on campus, sit in a chair and invite students to come to the microphone and debate him; prove why he was wrong in his conservative beliefs, whether they be political, faith-based, or cultural. This was very much akin to the method Socrates used to debate his students on various philosophical issues. Charlie supported this kind of open debate displaying his Christian values of respect, honesty, optimism, and love in his heart. But make no mistake, Charlie was a passionate and accomplished debater. He knew what he believed about his faith and he could back it up with Scripture and logic. And for that, he was a threat to Satan and his demons. So they had him killed.
You see, no topic was off-base with Charlie. You wanted to challenge him and his beliefs on abortion, the definition of a woman, transgenderism, racism ... or any of the other hot topics that are dividing us? Come to the microphone and let's have a mutually respectful discussion. But you better be able to effectively debate this very intelligent and educated young man. And, boy, was Charlie effective! He was so effective that he began to rally the youth of this nation to come out of their reticence to speak up about what they believed. There's nothing wrong with disagreement! In fact, it serves to help us think and define the foundational issues behind our differences and arguments; and oftentimes, we grow and fine tune those beliefs.
I was telling my husband, that I awoke yesterday, in the early hours of the morning, hoping against all hope, that Charlie's assassination was a dream; that I'd find that he was alive and well and on the trail debating somewhere. But the coldness and emptiness of my soul told me otherwise. I was lying in the dark trying to make sense of it, and asking God questions that I knew had no immediate answers. And then He spoke to me ... "Come, let's reason together". I will admit that in the fog of my sleepy brain, I did not recall the source of this comment, and wondered who in the media might have spoken this. And then it was revealed ... Isaiah 1:18-20: Come now, let us reason [dispute] together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Charlie wanted us to just reason together, and listen to each other.
But please understand this ... Charlie knew there was a deeper and eternal aspect that accompanied his campus debates, and now gives meaning to his death. Yes, Charlie Kirk found himself at the center of our cultural divide, encouraging free thinkers and the importance of true faith in our lives. And it's easy to see that these ideals made him a very big threat to the evil people in power who want to control every aspect of our lives. BUT it's so important to discern that Charlie chose to be in the middle of the maelstrom for eternal reasons.
He knew he was also at the center of a spiritual war between Good and Evil. Satan knows his time is short and Charlie wasn't backing down from proclaiming what our role as God's Ekklesia should be -- God's government on earth. So, we have a physical, corrupt, man-made government [in the natural], determined to silence God's spiritual government, made up of people of faith. Keep that in mind ... see this tragedy through spiritual eyes. Do not be deceived [or moved] by what the physical world wants us to see. Stay focused on Jesus and hear His voice. I believe that's what Charlie did.
The Lord asked for a volunteer, in Isaiah 6, to go and deliver His warning and message of hope. "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah volunteered then, and many have answered that summons through the ages. At the age of 19, Charlie Kirk stood tall, raised his hand, and boldly said, "Send me!" Charlie was willing and obedient to fulfill the calling God had put on his life. And for that, I know he instantly entered Eternity with his Lord and Savior. We must not let his sacrifice be for nothing. We must each volunteer to carry on God's message of hope, and warn of the spiritual battle we are in. Tell others of the Saving Grace of God, and encourage them to enter a relationship with Jesus. He's calling them, too!
So, in the aftermath of this senseless murder, I pray that the hate will stop; that the celebration of his murder will abate, and that all will take a moment to discover why millions of us are devastated and mourning the loss of this God-fearing man who deeply loved his family, his country, and most of all, His God. Understand this, if you are one of us who are emotional and distraught over Charlie's death, know that it is your spirit that is grieving; your spirit knows the battle between God and Satan. Charlie's spirit knew it. That's why he said he wanted to be remembered for the courage of his faith. I pray for that same courage and faith in my walk with my Lord.
Let us all join together and pray for his wife and small children, his parents, and our country. Pray that this evil and lawlessness will meet the righteous justice of God, and that his legacy will be the miraculous repentance and salvation of those whose spirits have been touched by Charlie's testimony of faith. Charlie, I thank you for never giving up in this spiritual war we find ourselves in, and you are deserving of all the crowns that were awaiting you in Heaven. We will continue the battle in your honor, and I, for one, want you to know that you made a difference. Rest in Eternal Peace, Charlie Kirk!
Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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