Dear Partners and Friends,
In light of the events involving the heinous assassination and martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, I would like to bring a biblical perspective. Many are asking the questions regarding this issue such as, “Why did God allow this?” I would like to bring to you a few thoughts that may alleviate some of the heaviness involving this tragedy. For many, this is a lingering heaviness that doesn’t lift. I’ve had many conversations with leaders and various people reaching out for answers. I will share with you what I feel is the appropriate response to Charlie Kirk and what is the appropriate response for believers when we are faced with such atrocities and vile savagery.
Let me begin by addressing grief. It is healthy and normal to grieve and experience sorrow, as it would be unhealthy to stuff the pain or disregard it and act like everything is ok. Everything is not ok, however, how a believer in Jesus deals with pain, loss, and indescribable grief is far different than the world.
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
—1 Thessalonians 4:13
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What an insightful statement by the apostle Paul. He exhorts the Thessalonians by saying, “I do not want you to be ignorant concerning believers who have died.” A better way of saying it would be to lean on the understanding of what happens to believers when they die, and the great hope for the outcome of those believers.
Paul points out that not understanding what happens to believers who die, leads to sorrow, as those who have no hope. Having no hope is how the world grieves. Worldly people do not have a rock-solid hope that there is a bright and glorious future, rather they pull back and try to answer the unknown in their own light and intellect, attempting to quantify loss and death in some natural manner leaving them hopeless without real answers. Thus, grief and sorrow could overtake someone who does not know what awaits on the other side of the veil. Not so with born again believers is Jesus. We know sorrow lasts for the night, but in Jesus, joy comes in the morning (see Psalm 30:5).
What is the glorious hope we can look forward to with great expectation? It is that the dead in Christ will rise again, and we will see them again on a future day!
Let me address the issue of Charlie being taken from us so suddenly and in such a horrific manner. In Acts 7, the account of Stephen is presented. Stephen was a believer who upon being arrested and brought in front of the religious leaders of his day began to lay out an argument to them that was beyond refute. He was so eloquent and powerful in presentation that it caused the leaders to rage against him. His words cut them to the heart, and rather than allowing Stephen to continue, they flew into a tumultuous fit of violence against him and stoned him.
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
—Acts 7:54-60
Of all the New Testament saints who gave up their lives for the gospel, Stephen reflects the loss of Charlie. Like Stephen, Charlie was an apologist extraordinaire and made arguments that were often irrefutable, which caused those who hated him to become angry. Rather than consider the truth of the discussion, many of his debate opponents would respond emotionally, with sarcasm or even anger and name-calling. This is the spirit of the age that despises truth.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
—Romans 1:28
In context, the action of removing the truth of God from their thinking was those who would trade out the truth for a lie. As a result, their reward was being given over to things that are not fitting. Cultural insanity is the result of removing God from the minds of people. In Charlie’s case, this insanity, fueled by the devil, cost Charlie his life. However, the encouraging part is to remember that persecution, historically speaking, often only advances and accelerates the Church to action.
For you, dear believer and reader, the Lord does not want you to sorrow like the world, but to honor the memory of a fallen warrior for the gospel by examining your own life and rising to what you have in front of you as your assignment. Your role in these moments is to not become grief stricken or fall into despair, rather you are to lean into the Lord and His grace.
It is also important to remember that, as believers, we are delivered from a variety of issues, such as sin, sickness, poverty, demonic oppression, and more. What we are not delivered from is persecution.
If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
—John 15:18-20
Consider this, if the world hated Jesus, it would hate His followers. We are not delivered of this issue. Human beings are free moral agents who make their choices in this life, and because of this reality, they can do heinous and wicked things to God’s people. It reminds me of the disciples who were persecuted and even killed for their stance in our Lord. There are many who walked tall in their faith and still died as martyrs of Jesus Christ, and the book of Revelation says that this will continue until the end. Psalm 34:19 is an encouraging scripture: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver them out of them all.”
In the case of Charlie, we can confidently say his deliverance from them all came as he stood before Jesus to hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Let me share this encouragement with you. Jesus loves you, and there is nothing you can do to change that, so you might as well keep seeking Him. In the areas that we do not understand the full scope of, why or how we need to trust His Words. We are only responsible for our walk with the Lord, not another’s. Meaning even when you see things that seem contrary to His Word or that did not work out the way we would have hoped, it does not negate the truth of the Word. Something may go wrong somewhere, but we can confidently say it wasn’t God. Jesus is author of life and life more abundantly.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
—John 10:10
John 10:10 gives us the authority to say if something involves stealing, killing, or destroying, that is the devil’s mission statement and mode of operation. However, if it involves life and life more abundantly, it is of God.
An even simpler way of saying it would be if it’s good, it is of God; if it is bad, it is of the devil.
Things to consider and implement—do not fear, rather rise in faith. You are the answer to a dying world; your prayers, your good deeds, and commitment to Jesus will bring you and your family through.
What we do know is that one more round has been activated due to the death of Charlie Kirk. We thank You, Jesus, for his life and thank You, Lord, that we have the ability to still serve You today.
Remember, even on a bad day, you are anointed to be the best there is.
A man or woman with a revelation is not at the mercy of a culture going mad.
We must keep watching, keep discerning, because Jesus really is coming soon!
For Jesus,
Joseph Z
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