I have witnessed a number of times in my life when I felt like something substantial had taken place…something that was going to bring a notable change to the way we previously lived our lives in the United States. Though I’m sure there have been other times like this in our history, such as the First and Second World Wars, the Great Depression and other events when people realized that their lives were changed forever.
The first such time I can remember, took place on November 22, 1963, though I was only 10 years old at the time, I have always thought of that day as a turning point in American history. I was in the 6th grade, and I was working in the library at my elementary school when an announcement came over the intercom system that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. It was a horrendous time. Though at that young age, I didn’t understand a lot of what was going on, I do remember that they closed school early that day, and as I walked home, everyone was crying and weeping because of the tragic news we had just received. It was a time of great sorrow for our country, and the first time I realized that there was evil in the world.
And of course there were other memories of history in the making, but the next time that I realized the world had changed was on September 11th, 2001. I remember when I heard about the first airplane hitting the World Trade Center North Tower, I thought it must have been a small plane that had hit the world’s tallest building by accident…but then…only minutes later, we heard that the second tower had been hit…and we knew that something tragic was going on. And of course we now know that two more planes were involved in the tragedy of that day and many lives were lost…and our sense of peace and security took a drastic turn that day. That was another time when we knew that life would never be the same again.
Then, I remember on January 20, 2020, the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the United States, and very soon afterward, everyone was talking about this being a worldwide pandemic that would kill millions of people, and it was the first of such an events in 100 years. I remembered saying to someone at that time that the world will never be the same again. And I was right…the world definitely changed after that time.
I think the point I am trying to make Friends is that little by little and event by event, we are watching the world changing, and our sense of security is decreasing. Each time one of these life changing events happens, we lose more privacy, and we get the feeling that there is a force of some kind that seems to be rushing us closer to the events that God has warned us of in His Word that we call the End of Time.
And Friends, recently we have seen another one of these tragic events take place in America that I believe will begin to radically change life as we know it. That event was the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Now I know a lot has been said about his death…some good, some not so good…some true, and some not so true. And I certainly don’t intend to add to the confusion. But I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts about Charlie and the effect that his death is having on so many people all over the world.
Many of us felt it when it happened…there was a deep sense of sorrow, a mourning that most of us can’t explain. I didn’t know Charlie personally, and I didn’t agree with him on all his political views. But I knew that Charlie was a brave man of God who put himself out there to welcome civil debate. He invited those who disagreed with him to speak their minds by asking him anything about why he believed what he did. Some of the questions were political, some of them were moral questions, and some were questions about his faith in God. And he didn’t treat anyone differently because they disagreed with him…he welcomed debate. And most of his ministry was aimed toward young people…high school and college students. He would set up a booth and gather a crowd and let each person come up to the mic and ask whatever they wanted. No one was turned away. Many of the students agreed with his viewpoint, but some disagreed…and that was okay with Charlie, because they were all heard and they were respected for their views. And it was during one of those events that Charlie was gunned down in cold blood.
Now many people called his death a political assassination, but many of us Christians viewed Charlie’s death for what it really was…a Christian Martyrdom. Charlie’s life was taken because of his faith in Jesus Christ. And that is where the “turning point” comes into play.
Over a number of years, those of us who have been around for a while have watched the changes in attitudes about Christianity taking place, slowly at first, and then it began to increase over time. And now, antagonism toward the Christian faith is at a level that is almost frightening, to realize that the United States of America has come to this place in history.
Of course we have heard of Christians being martyred ever since the time of Christ, and we know that many Christians are persecuted and killed in many countries of the world…and if we are paying attention, we come to realize that Christian persecution has been increasing in many places. But somehow, American Christians have thought that we are somehow exempt, that somehow we will avoid the fate that many of our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries are suffering. But Friends, now…beginning on September 10, 2025, Christian martyrdom has come to the US too. And according to the Word of God, it will only increase with time.
Listen
to what Jesus said about persecution:
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 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.” (John 15:18-19)
Friends, what we need to understand is that from the time that Jesus was arrested, persecution became the expected lifestyle for people who professed Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. In many countries today, if you are baptized, you are shunned from your community, exiled from your people and in many cases killed for your faith.
I was once in contact with a young couple who were refugees to another country from Pakistan, and they told me that the woman had recently become a Christian and her own family was trying to kill her because she had left her family’s religion and had converted to Christianity. Persecution is real to many people right now, Friends.
But what we also need to understand is that persecution usually brings with it an amazing phenomenon…when people are going through tremendous persecution it is usually accompanied by a time of great revival in the same country. According to many sources, right now, the country that is having the greatest revival is Iran…one of the most radical Islamic countries in the world. The Church in Iran is growing in great numbers. God is revealing Himself to many people in countries where Christians are forbidden. The same is also happening in China, North Korea. Wherever there is great persecution, you will normally also see great revival.
So Friends, the bottom line is that I truly believe that we, in America, are in the middle of a turning point right now. Though statistics probably will never bear up the fact that the United States has experienced its first Christian martyr, we know that Charlie was killed because of the values he held that came from his Christian faith. And, with the hateful environment that we have seen breeding in America over a number of years, where just having a different opinion is met with ridicule and rejection, and the term “cancel-culture” has become a buzz word in our society, I believe we can expect to see more and more violence aimed toward Christian values and beliefs in the weeks and months ahead.
But what we can also expect to see is a revival spreading across this country like we have not seen in many years. The Sunday after Charlie’s death, many churches experienced greater attendance than ever before, and many young people are professing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s happening Friends! In fact, this move of the Holy Spirit is spreading to other countries too, as Charlie’s death has touched people worldwide. Friends, we have lost a brother to a sniper’s bullet, but the Kingdom of God is growing in great numbers all over the world.
I want you to take great comfort in these words spoken by Jesus in John 12:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” (Lit. fruit)
We are long overdue for a revival Friends…let’s pray for it and believe God to send forth laborers into the harvest so that many souls will come to Christ. The seed of Charlie’s life will bear much fruit among young people all over the world and the Kingdom of God will experience a great increase. Hallelujah!
Father, in the Blessed and Holy Name of Jesus, we give You praise today Lord for the precious revival that we believe is coming to America and around the world from the sacrifice of our dear Friend and Brother Charlie Kirk. We are already seeing many signs of young people turning to Christ and lives being changed in the Name of Jesus. Father, thank You for the testimony that Charlie unashamedly shared on high school and college campuses all over the country. How he would share his faith with young men and women, and boys and girls. We thank you for his life and all that he meant to so many. And during this difficult time Lord, we do ask you to be with his family…his wife and young children…his mom and dad and all those who knew him well. We ask You to bring comfort and peace to them, and convince them in their hearts that he is with You and living his best life now. We want to see many come into the Kingdom of God, and we understand that there will be more persecution on the horizon for our nation and other nations as well. We give our lives totally into Your keeping and we trust You to do what’s right and good. We pray for our loved ones Lord, that every single one of our family members and all our friends would turn to Christ for salvation and eternal life. Thank You Lord, that You ALWAYS hear our prayers, and we trust You to send the answer in the time and way that You know is best. We love you and praise You Lord. In Jesus Name we pray…Amen.
Well
Friends, until I see you back here again next time, you have a Jesus-filled
week, and God bless you. Bye for now…
No comments:
Post a Comment