Lisa and I are regular listeners of the Megyn Kelly show, and several times she has asked Christian guests how we can process the early death of someone like Charlie Kirk.
Absolutely agree and like your comments and encouragement on faith - trusting in God for all things, his wife, children, ministry, etc. Would add that we need to also do a much better job of discipling believers to walk by faith through grace, as a priority part of our sanctification, to understand and live in the absolute sovereignty of God...honoring Him above all else in all thought, decisions, motives and actions. This is sorely and sadly missing in most all of our churches today because so many have been conditioned to place people and their needs above God. This flips the 2 greatest commands and as Oswald Chambers calls it, "we play amateur providence" rather than truly trusting in Him. Thanks as always and God bless in the Love & Lordship of Christ!
Charlie Kirk was made in the image of God. His death was a horrible tragedy. No person should die like that, and no person should want to commit such a horrible act to another human being. I grieved over his death.
That being said, Christians need to get real about another issue here. We live in a country where true Christianity is being warped into some hybrid of worldliness, with politics interwoven.
I did not see how Charlie Kirk was acting like a Jesus follower in his behavior on campuses and in his public life. Insulting and denouncing others at campus events. Is his sin somehow better than LBGT? Was his sin better than political liberals? Where was he practicing loving others as yourself? (Matt 22:39), where was CK dealing with the log in his own eye and not the speck in others? (Matt 7:3), how was CK being a light to others? (Matt 5:14-16), was CK going to bring non-believers to Jesus by mocking and insulting them in front of thousands of his followers? Where was CK bearing spiritual fruit in his behavior? (Galatians 5). Some of the acts of the flesh are hatred, discord, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions. Fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What of those descriptions sounds like CK to you?
The fact that so many evangelical Christians hold up CK as an example of a model disciple is a sign of their own spiritual shortsightedness. Biblical fraud really. I walk away from any Christian leader who supports politics and supports people who so clearly don’t exemplify Christ’s basic principles.
Politics and Christian faith are incompatible. Choose one master.
I never met Charlie and have seen just a few clips since his death. Many of those who did know him testify that he did exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. I haven’t personally seen the hatred you speak of, but perhaps you saw clips I haven’t. At any rate, I’m sure that because of Jesus, Charlie’s sins have been forgiven and his good acts amply rewarded. May we all, publicly and privately, put our trust in Jesus to receive the grace all of us need for where we’ve fallen short. Thanks to Jesus, we can all—sincere and misguided alike—experience unmerited favor and grace on our third birthday
May I recommend you look a little deeper into CK’s past public behavior? It’s all over YouTube and easy to find. And I question why you desire to respond publicly to Megyn Kelly. Her constant vitriol is unbecoming of anyone claiming to be a follower of Christ.
It’s somewhat surprising to me that you are using Charlie Kirk and Megyn Kelly as a talking point for the benefit of your paid platform, but when specifically challenged on CK, you claim you have no idea and your opinion on CK is what you heard from others.
You said: "Politics and Christian faith are incompatible."
That is not in Scripture.
Many of the Old Testament greats were political leaders - Moses, David, Daniel. Do you think that Nehemiah should have not gotten involved in politics to aid the people of God?
John the Baptist inserted himself into a political situation and got killed for it. Do you think that John the Baptist should have refrained from commenting on political situations?
Charles Spurgeon said this:
Every God-fearing man should give his vote with as much devotion as he prays.”
“Ministers do well to give their votes and to express their opinions for the guidance of the people."
“I often hear it said, ‘Do not bring religion into politics.’ This is precisely where it ought to be brought, and set there in the face of all men as on a candlestick.”
Charles Spurgeon was instrumental in the fight against slavery, where he frequently referred to 1 Timothy 1:10's prohibition on menstealing. Do you think that slavery should be legal? If not, doesn't the fact that the abolitionists brought their Christian faith into politics contradict your statement that "politics and Christian faith are incompatible"?
"Insulting and denouncing others at campus events."
In every video I saw, Charlie was attacked much more virulently by those on the Left than he responded. He responded with kindness in almost all instances. He did of course, respond to error - that's called debate.
It sounds like perhaps you identify more with the Left, and I see this caricature of Jesus (e.g. "Christ's basic principles) that is twisted to suit their ideology that is presented by people on the Left. This is what Paul did: like Charlie Kirk, he went into the lecture halls to debate (Acts 19:9). Jesus even called people who opposed him "children of the devil" (John 8:44), and Jesus was so forceful and intimidating with debate that "no one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further" (Matthew 22:46). If you want to be like Jesus (and Paul), then you must defend Biblical truth publicly like they did. "We destroy arguments..." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Be careful to consider "the full counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) and to not cherry-pick verses like the ones you have out of context to prove a point and to override other verses. Be careful also to not miss any logs in your own eye while casting out the speck in Charlie Kirk's.
I read your comment again and you are the one applying a political filter. Do you identify as a follower of Christ? You speak nonsense. Trying to assign a political judgement on me because you don’t like what I say.
A temptation as old as the fall, for people to make God in their human image to justify their will be done.
Feel free to respond to my concerns about Charlie Kirk. But you won’t. Neither will public figures making money or fame playing christian and working the culture wars for their gain. My criticism of CK is not about the log in my eye. It’s a full rebuke of his obvious behavior.
I am a Christian. A follower of Christ. Jesus was not political. He said things that had obvious political ramification in His day. Jesus did not use His power and authority to gain a political position in govt in order to create law’s preferential to the Jews. Jesus mission was to announce the New Kingdom and create believers. Jesus gave specific instructions for His followers to be a light to the world. Christians who claim to be followers of a political party or idolize a politician are immediately divisive and will turn away half the people they are supposed to be a light to. The idea that Christians should be involved in politics is incredibly flawed. You will fail Jesus mission for you. You create believers and change hearts by how you act and what you say around others. Jesus calls us to be different from the world. We bring others to Christ be standing out from the world, not acting like the worldly. Politics is worldly knowledge that is useless to God.
Or perhaps you obsesses and worry about politics because you don’t trust in God?
I read a wonderful book on this topic - Imagine the God of Heaven by John Burke. It really helped me to start to view death as a win rather than a defeat. Have you seen this book Gary?
Gary, thank you for these beautiful insights on our passing from this earth to heaven. We recently read the book, "Imagine Heaven" and it was inspiring as well. Randy was recently diagnosed with Mesothelioma which they tell us in incurable. When the doctor asked us if we understood what the prognosis was, we said, yes, and that we also understand we're all terminal and we're ready for heaven when God calls us there. God has given us His supernatural peace and joy these through last 3-4 months since diagnosis. In the meantime, we're going to keep loving God and loving others.
This thought just came to me, If any of us could grasp how wonderful Heaven is going to be, we'd be "dying" to get there; pun intended.
Oh, Randy and Vickie—May God draw you close. It’s still appropriate for us to pray for healing and vitality for all the days God has left for you, and we do. Certainly your response shows a faith that inspires us all
Gary, we are certainly praying for healing and we have hundreds of others that are praying for healing with us. We know God is sovereign and knows what's best so we're confident in that. Like Randy says, "I win either way." We know God will healing but whether it's here or there, that remains to be seen. God is so good and all our lives He has been very faithful.
Absolutely agree and like your comments and encouragement on faith - trusting in God for all things, his wife, children, ministry, etc. Would add that we need to also do a much better job of discipling believers to walk by faith through grace, as a priority part of our sanctification, to understand and live in the absolute sovereignty of God...honoring Him above all else in all thought, decisions, motives and actions. This is sorely and sadly missing in most all of our churches today because so many have been conditioned to place people and their needs above God. This flips the 2 greatest commands and as Oswald Chambers calls it, "we play amateur providence" rather than truly trusting in Him. Thanks as always and God bless in the Love & Lordship of Christ!
More evidence that reading Oswald Chambers births wisdom and insight. Thanks for sharing!
Charlie Kirk was made in the image of God. His death was a horrible tragedy. No person should die like that, and no person should want to commit such a horrible act to another human being. I grieved over his death.
That being said, Christians need to get real about another issue here. We live in a country where true Christianity is being warped into some hybrid of worldliness, with politics interwoven.
I did not see how Charlie Kirk was acting like a Jesus follower in his behavior on campuses and in his public life. Insulting and denouncing others at campus events. Is his sin somehow better than LBGT? Was his sin better than political liberals? Where was he practicing loving others as yourself? (Matt 22:39), where was CK dealing with the log in his own eye and not the speck in others? (Matt 7:3), how was CK being a light to others? (Matt 5:14-16), was CK going to bring non-believers to Jesus by mocking and insulting them in front of thousands of his followers? Where was CK bearing spiritual fruit in his behavior? (Galatians 5). Some of the acts of the flesh are hatred, discord, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions. Fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What of those descriptions sounds like CK to you?
The fact that so many evangelical Christians hold up CK as an example of a model disciple is a sign of their own spiritual shortsightedness. Biblical fraud really. I walk away from any Christian leader who supports politics and supports people who so clearly don’t exemplify Christ’s basic principles.
Politics and Christian faith are incompatible. Choose one master.
I never met Charlie and have seen just a few clips since his death. Many of those who did know him testify that he did exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. I haven’t personally seen the hatred you speak of, but perhaps you saw clips I haven’t. At any rate, I’m sure that because of Jesus, Charlie’s sins have been forgiven and his good acts amply rewarded. May we all, publicly and privately, put our trust in Jesus to receive the grace all of us need for where we’ve fallen short. Thanks to Jesus, we can all—sincere and misguided alike—experience unmerited favor and grace on our third birthday
May I recommend you look a little deeper into CK’s past public behavior? It’s all over YouTube and easy to find. And I question why you desire to respond publicly to Megyn Kelly. Her constant vitriol is unbecoming of anyone claiming to be a follower of Christ.
It’s somewhat surprising to me that you are using Charlie Kirk and Megyn Kelly as a talking point for the benefit of your paid platform, but when specifically challenged on CK, you claim you have no idea and your opinion on CK is what you heard from others.
You said: "Politics and Christian faith are incompatible."
That is not in Scripture.
Many of the Old Testament greats were political leaders - Moses, David, Daniel. Do you think that Nehemiah should have not gotten involved in politics to aid the people of God?
John the Baptist inserted himself into a political situation and got killed for it. Do you think that John the Baptist should have refrained from commenting on political situations?
Charles Spurgeon said this:
Every God-fearing man should give his vote with as much devotion as he prays.”
“Ministers do well to give their votes and to express their opinions for the guidance of the people."
“I often hear it said, ‘Do not bring religion into politics.’ This is precisely where it ought to be brought, and set there in the face of all men as on a candlestick.”
Charles Spurgeon was instrumental in the fight against slavery, where he frequently referred to 1 Timothy 1:10's prohibition on menstealing. Do you think that slavery should be legal? If not, doesn't the fact that the abolitionists brought their Christian faith into politics contradict your statement that "politics and Christian faith are incompatible"?
"Insulting and denouncing others at campus events."
In every video I saw, Charlie was attacked much more virulently by those on the Left than he responded. He responded with kindness in almost all instances. He did of course, respond to error - that's called debate.
It sounds like perhaps you identify more with the Left, and I see this caricature of Jesus (e.g. "Christ's basic principles) that is twisted to suit their ideology that is presented by people on the Left. This is what Paul did: like Charlie Kirk, he went into the lecture halls to debate (Acts 19:9). Jesus even called people who opposed him "children of the devil" (John 8:44), and Jesus was so forceful and intimidating with debate that "no one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further" (Matthew 22:46). If you want to be like Jesus (and Paul), then you must defend Biblical truth publicly like they did. "We destroy arguments..." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Be careful to consider "the full counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) and to not cherry-pick verses like the ones you have out of context to prove a point and to override other verses. Be careful also to not miss any logs in your own eye while casting out the speck in Charlie Kirk's.
I read your comment again and you are the one applying a political filter. Do you identify as a follower of Christ? You speak nonsense. Trying to assign a political judgement on me because you don’t like what I say.
A temptation as old as the fall, for people to make God in their human image to justify their will be done.
Feel free to respond to my concerns about Charlie Kirk. But you won’t. Neither will public figures making money or fame playing christian and working the culture wars for their gain. My criticism of CK is not about the log in my eye. It’s a full rebuke of his obvious behavior.
I am a Christian. A follower of Christ. Jesus was not political. He said things that had obvious political ramification in His day. Jesus did not use His power and authority to gain a political position in govt in order to create law’s preferential to the Jews. Jesus mission was to announce the New Kingdom and create believers. Jesus gave specific instructions for His followers to be a light to the world. Christians who claim to be followers of a political party or idolize a politician are immediately divisive and will turn away half the people they are supposed to be a light to. The idea that Christians should be involved in politics is incredibly flawed. You will fail Jesus mission for you. You create believers and change hearts by how you act and what you say around others. Jesus calls us to be different from the world. We bring others to Christ be standing out from the world, not acting like the worldly. Politics is worldly knowledge that is useless to God.
Or perhaps you obsesses and worry about politics because you don’t trust in God?
I read a wonderful book on this topic - Imagine the God of Heaven by John Burke. It really helped me to start to view death as a win rather than a defeat. Have you seen this book Gary?
No, but thanks for the suggestion
Gary, thank you for these beautiful insights on our passing from this earth to heaven. We recently read the book, "Imagine Heaven" and it was inspiring as well. Randy was recently diagnosed with Mesothelioma which they tell us in incurable. When the doctor asked us if we understood what the prognosis was, we said, yes, and that we also understand we're all terminal and we're ready for heaven when God calls us there. God has given us His supernatural peace and joy these through last 3-4 months since diagnosis. In the meantime, we're going to keep loving God and loving others.
This thought just came to me, If any of us could grasp how wonderful Heaven is going to be, we'd be "dying" to get there; pun intended.
Oh, Randy and Vickie—May God draw you close. It’s still appropriate for us to pray for healing and vitality for all the days God has left for you, and we do. Certainly your response shows a faith that inspires us all
Gary, we are certainly praying for healing and we have hundreds of others that are praying for healing with us. We know God is sovereign and knows what's best so we're confident in that. Like Randy says, "I win either way." We know God will healing but whether it's here or there, that remains to be seen. God is so good and all our lives He has been very faithful.
Hey, everyone reading this, let's join in and pray for Randy too