Charlie Kirk’s Death & The Hope That Remains

On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University. His tragic death shocked young adults, families, and communities across the nation. In this episode, we step away from politics to focus on what really matters: how Christians process grief, guard their mental health, and hold on to the eternal hope we have in Christ.

From personal stories of vulnerability and breaking points to powerful Scriptures about the last days, persecution, and God’s peace, this conversation points us back to the promises of God. We’ll unpack practical steps for protecting your peace in a chaotic world, how to think biblically about tragedy, and why death never has the final word.

Whether you’re searching for answers, encouragement, or hope in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, this episode reminds us that Jesus is our anchor.

See you later, Charlie.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:03

Welcome back to the Salty Christian Podcast formally, the Thinking Out Loud Podcast. My name is Kevin Wilson, and I am excited to be here with you guys again for another week of the show. And if this is your first time, I just want to say thank you for listening. We really, really appreciate that. And I pray that this episode and this podcast as a whole helps you and is a blessing to you. And so we're going to talk about something today that is probably on the hearts of most people. And I just want to share and be very vulnerable with you today. This could be a lengthy podcast. I don't know how long it'll take me to get through this, but I have been praying and thinking and praying and thinking and just trying to mull over what I feel like God has placed in my heart. And that's what I'm going to say today. This is not something that I try to drum up or or try to react to or anything like this, but this is something that we're going to talk about today that has deeply affected me and it deeply affected people around me. And my goal today is to provide hope in the midst of all the things that we see that is going on. And that is what I feel like God has graced me to do. And that's what I'm going to try my absolute best to do today. I will tell you this this will not be a political episode. It could easily be a political episode, but this is not what we're going to do today. I believe that talking about politics is actually going to steer us away from the focus that I believe that we need to have now and in the future. And so, but as you know, on September 10th, Charlie Kirk was assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University, as he so often did on college campuses across the nation. Charlie Kirk, fairly young man. He was the president of Turning Point USA. And this is an organization that did a lot to do its best to bring truth in the midst of culture. And he did it boldly and really focused a lot college students, young adults, kind of that age range, and was a pivotal point in a lot of things in society for the past few years. Very influential. He had a lot of people at his different rallies and gatherings and things that he would do. I mean, this was just an absolutely horrific act of pure evil. Forget his political stances. He was a father and he was a husband. In the United States of America, a man who was having a conversation with college students under a tent was assassinated because someone disagreed with what he stood for. Let that sink in for a moment. In the United States of America, a man, a husband and a father who was having a conversation with college students, a place where they volunteered themselves to come and listen to him answer questions and speak was assassinated because someone disagreed with what he stood for in the United States of America. Those of you who hold the same views as Charlie Kirk, I believe would be just as outraged if the same thing happened on the other side of the aisle. Right. And if you want to say, hey, Kevin, you said no politics and this sounds political. If there's anything that's even remotely sounds like politics or politics adjacent, it's going to be right now. Right? Because I'm trying to get us to understand the gravity of what happened here. So those who hold the same views as Charlie Kirk would be absolutely outraged if the same thing were to happen on the other side of the aisle. If something were to happen to ALC or Rashida Talib or some of the other people that was part of what we we call the squad, and these are people who I think most people would say is entirely on the other side of the political spectrum, it would be just as tragic. Because these would be women that are mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our aunts. They are human beings that are made in the image of God. They deserve to breathe the same air and share the same opinions, whether we agree with them or not. But so did Charlie. With that said, I really want to get into the heart of why I'm sitting behind this mic today. I'm going to ask that you would lock in with me for the next little bit, because I really want to unpack what I feel like God wants me to share with you guys today. I'm going to speak a little bit about my world and kind of what has happened, be a little bit vulnerable about my own mental health and share some things from scripture on what to kind of expect in the near future. Like I really believe that we need to understand and make some sense of what is going on in our world. And then I want to give you some practical tips on how you and all of us can deal with tragedies. When things like this happen, how do we deal with these tragedies? And then I really want to provide hope based on scripture, right? Because these are times that seem hopeless. It seems like we've lost, right? Right. It seems like that we've been defeated, but we haven't. And I want to provide hope because I believe that is one of the most important things that needs to happen right now, is that people need hope. And after I am through this today, I think you're going to understand what I mean. And even if you didn't think, you're like, oh, Kev, it was just, yep, it was a terrible thing, but really didn't affect me much. I think once we're done today, I think you're going to realize you were more affected than what you thought. Because when I get to that hope part, I believe that you're just going to sense hope just through your earbuds, or wherever you're listening to me, I think you're just going to, it's going to be palpable because this is what God has provided for us, even in the midst of all the things that are going on right now. So for those that know me personally, and you know my life and ministry, you know that my pretty much my whole life is young adults, my entire life. Pretty much everybody I mentor, everybody that I minister to or with, my friends, pretty much I'm just surrounded by young adults. Now, I will say that I did not set out for it to be this way. And there's a reason why I'm saying this, and you'll understand this in a second. It just happened that way. I believe that it was the providence of God. My wife and I have never tried to seek out young adults or or felt like specifically in the past that God had called us to young adults, but it's really who God has given me a heart for. And it's really crazy because I mean it just wasn't something I set out for. But for whatever reason, young adults are like magnets to my wife and I. And it's really funny because I'm kind of a sit back person. You would never think that because of the things that I do. But I there's in at some point we could talk about that. But I love to watch people do things, I love to support things, I love to whatever. But I believe that there's a mandate on my life, and I feel called to minister now to young adults. And the cool thing is, I'm in the very early stages of starting a new ministry, and it's going to be solely focused on young adults. And I'm super excited about that. And we're just we're gearing up for that. And once that is some, you know, once it's fully baked, I will be sharing it on my social media and some excitement around that because I believe God is doing some amazing things. And as these events that have happened recently began to unfold, I said to my wife, this is exactly why God has called us to do what we're gonna do, because I believe it is so needed. And so I say all that to say when the Charlie Kirk incident happened, it was very, very personal, and it was a crushing moment for my world because a large part of Charlie's following is young adults. It's it's college age, it's the 18 to the to, I would say, 30-year-olds. Now, obviously, there's plenty of other people who followed him, watched him, watched his videos, went to different events and things like that that he had. But the lion's share of his followers, I would say, is somewhere in that 18 to 30 realm. And one of the things that I noticed is this incident hit people in a way I have never, never seen people affected before. As people called me and texted me, and one of the common things that I heard was, Kev, I'm at my breaking point. Like I was already dealing with a lot in my life. I was dealing with maybe a little anxiety or a depression or or what have you. And seeing this just kind of sent me over the edge. What do I do? What do I do? The other thing that I heard repeatedly was I never thought that I'd be affected the way that I'm affected. I can't tell you how many people, how many texts or calls or whatever that that was coming through that was just like, Kev, like I just, or group texts that I was in, where people were just like, hey, I just, I, I'm a grown man and I'm crying and I don't know why, right? Or, or I I've never, nothing's ever affected me like this. Like, why am I so affected by this in this way? I remember a friend of mine just calling me and sobbing on the phone, just sobbing. And just it's like, hey, I I don't know how to handle it all. Like, I think about another dear friend of mine who bravely served our military, talked about how this was triggering his PTSD. I mean, this is these are just a couple of examples in my own life of people that were absolutely affected by this. And so I just want to say to you guys who are out there and you're listening to this, I just want you to know that you're not alone. I want you to understand that some of those feelings that you were feeling and and some of the pain and the hurt, and you say, Kev, I don't normally cry. I'm not a crier, or Kevin, I'm not normally shaken. I see things every day when I flip through social media or I'm watching the news or what have you. You say, Kev, I I just I don't know. I I it really doesn't bother me, but for some reason, in some way, this hit me different. Friend, you're not alone. This is what the majority of people are saying. And I I want to be able to shed some light. And I want you to, I want to help you through kind of where you've been these last couple of weeks and give you some context and help you to understand why you're there, where we're going in the future, and how do we respond to these things? How do we respond to these things? And and what didn't help was just a week or two before Charlie was killed, there was a stabbing of a completely innocent Ukrainian refugee on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. So here we are with, and again, I'm taught obviously everybody, but these young adults that are around me and others that I'm seeing, they're like, hey, like I was just getting over that, and now here Charlie literally gets murdered in cold blood right in front of my face. And I would, I would charge you, and we're and I'll pause here for a second. I charge you to pray for those who were in attendance at Charlie's event where he was assassinated. I would charge you to pray for those families. Pray for the people who were who are Christians that were there, who are non-Christians that were there, his family, all of the people involved, his security, these type of things sometimes affect people for the rest of their lives. And I want you to understand the gravity of that. And so, and I know, and I know many of you have been, and I know many of you are in that mindset of we need to pray. It was really something that I'll get a little vulnerable here. And I just, I, you know, hey guys, I'm just I'm just sharing my heart with you today, okay? Just sharing my heart because we're a family and and and we meet here every other week and we talk about all kinds of things. And this is one of those times where I just I really believe that this is this is this is we go through things together. And and that's why we have each other so that we can go through things like this together. Community is so important. But personally, I had been dealing with some things in my own life around this time that were stress or that were stressors. I was battling some things and I was praying and asking God to, I was talking to my wife about it, and I told her, I said, babe, I just I feel off. I just don't feel I don't feel like myself. I I'm just I'm I just struggling a little bit mentally and and just different things like this. And in the midst of my own stressors and things that were happening, then this happened to Charlie. And just like many of you, this affected me in a way that I I just I did not expect. Like when people, when you when people say things like, hey, I it just hit me different. Like something was just different about that. I feel the exact same way. I didn't know there was no category for me to put this in. There was no, I just felt like it was so out of pocket. And obviously it was, but like it, it just the way it hit me was so weird. And I was talking to my therapist and last Friday, and and he was saying that the two things, he said that the two things that stood out to him is most of the people that they talked to, him and his colleagues, they were hearing the exact same two things in their practice. Uh, they were saying that people were saying, hey man, this is just hitting me different. I I don't know why. And then the other thing that is people were like, hey, look, I was already dealing with a lot, and this just kind of sent me over the edge. So these are this is a common thing. And as we talk through this, and and and and as I talked through this with my therapist, and I began to explain to him kind of how I was feeling, what I was thinking, and just different things like that. He said, he just looked at me and said, Kev, he says, I says, it's you're going through what is called a depressive episode. And and that that may have been you, right? That that may have been you. And I'm only sharing this, guys, because I just want you to understand, I'm a little raw right now. I think it's good for the body of Christ to be transparent, right? So I'm a little raw right now and just sharing this with you. I just want you to know that you're not alone. God is with you. God is with me, even in the midst of everything that is going on in our world, and we're getting ready to get into scripture right now because I believe that's our hope. And just the sheer weight of what was happening already in my life and the things that I've been going through, plus trying to help others through their grief and through their pain and talking people off the ledge and all of these type of things, and the event itself for me, right? Like it was it was a lot. It was a lot. And I'm grateful in the midst of all of that. I am so incredibly grateful that God gave me the clarity in those moments that people called me and texted me and all of these types of things, that God gave me the clarity to be able to minister to those people even in the midst of my own suffering. Because this is this is the kind of God that we serve. I want to help you understand how I was able to do that. Because it certainly wasn't because of my own strength. It certainly wasn't because I had it all together. It certainly wasn't because I had my pulse on how to handle everything. No, I didn't. But there was there was God begin to deal with me just like just days before that. Like you need to pull away from media, Kev. You need to move back. Part of the reason why you're feeling the way you're feeling, Kev, is because you're consuming too much. You're consuming too much news, you're consuming too many things that are bringing you down. And just days before, God had He had started dealing with me about that. And then I ended up, I saw so the uh young lady who was stabbed on the train. I remember I had pulled up that video and I began to look at that video. And right before the guy stabbed this, this, this poor young lady, I shut the video off. And I'm so glad I did. I'm so glad I did. And this was part of that where I felt like God was like, listen, you need to back off. And I think there is a lot of you that I think you need to do the same thing, but it's really hard. Like the way the world is right now and the way things are going, you're like, well, how that's the main way I stay connected with my friends or my with my family or my business or whatever, right? But we're gonna talk about that a little bit later. We're gonna talk about that because I think I think we need to have a family discussion about that. I think God is speaking and I think God is saying something, and I think it's very, very different than what the world is is saying to us. Let's dig in. How do we deal with this stuff, guys? Like, because you have to understand, we can't all fall apart. We are the lights of the world, we're the hope. If we fall apart, the world has no hope. So there's gotta be a way or there's gotta be something that God has put in place because we already know that the world is broken. We already know that. We we see evil every single day. So we already know that. So there's gotta be something that God has put in place so that we're not caught off guard, so that we are equipped and understand the times, so that when the world comes to us crying and broken and confused, that we have an answer for them. Because if we don't have an answer for them, the world is completely hopeless. So think about that. What are the things that you need to know, Christian? What are some things that you need to know, young adult that's listening to me? So that when things like this happen, because I hate to break it to you, but guys, you're going to see more of this kind of stuff happen. And it's biblical. I'm getting ready to read it to you in a second, right? These things are going to happen. So, so first I'm going to give you a snippet of what's to come, but then I'm going to help you to understand how you navigate through that. Then I'm going to give you some practical tips on how to deal with these things. All right. So, number one, here's what you have to understand as we approach, because we are getting close, very, very close to the end. And I know you, you, oh, Kevin, I've heard that. I've heard that for years. Let me tell you, there is nothing like what's going on today. We have never been closer to the return of Christ than we are today. Never. We're the closest we've ever been. And as we approach the end of the age, what does the Bible say that we should expect? Well, number one, things are going to be pretty intense. Guys, you're not seeing this, you're not crazy. You say, well, Kev, I just feel like the world is just getting so much darker. The news just constantly is just all this bad stuff. My feed is always this somebody's missing, or somebody's been trafficked, or there were so many murders in Chicago or Detroit or wherever, right? And you're like, Kev, it just seems like so much more. I remember those times when when my grandparents or my parents talked about where they could just leave their door open, and they didn't have to worry about a burglar coming in and stealing their stuff. And they certainly didn't have to worry about somebody coming in and murdering them. But Kev, I can't even leave my car door unlocked without somebody stealing stuff. But here's what you have to understand: the closer and the closer we get to the end of this age, the more things that are going to happen, the more evil that you're going to see. Because the enemy is doing everything he can to stir up as much trouble as he can, because he knows that his end is coming. And Jesus warned us of this, and we see this in Scripture. All right. So let's go to 2 Timothy chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3. And we're gonna we're gonna I'm gonna read verses 1 through 5, and then I'm gonna skip to verse 8. Because this is us being prepared as Christians, because none of this stuff should surprise us. That this is what I'm saying, and this is why I talk about so much. It is important that you read your Bible. It is important that you are informed about what God is speaking and what God is saying in this season. It is, you can't ignore God. You can't ignore the Bible in this season. The Bible is relevant to every generation, every decade, every century. It is more relevant than tomorrow's newspaper, I promise you. If you just read your Bible, everything that's happening now, everything that's happened in the past, and everything that's happened in the future is recorded in some way, shape, form, or fashion, whether it's directly talked about or it's talked about in principle, it is in the word of God. You never have to be caught off guard. And this is why the that's why this is why you will hear your pastors or podcasters or ministers that will constantly say, Getting your Bible, getting your word. Because when, you know what? Here's the reason why I can provide hope for people who are coming to me when things like this happen. Why? Because I'm in my word. I know what the word of God says, and that's what I have to live my life on. That's what gives me my strength. That's what gives me my solace. So, what's gonna happen as we get closer to the end? Listen to this. And tell me if this doesn't sound like what you see on the news and in your news feed. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 1 through 5, and we're gonna skip to verse 8. But understand this in the last days, terrible times will come. Right? Now they could have used any word there, but in order for us to completely understand how bad things are going to be in the last days, Paul's telling Timothy, he says, but I need you to understand this, that in the last days, terrible times will come. Verse: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal. I mean, I mean, is this is this starting to sound like our world today? I mean, again, this this was written this was written a very long time ago, but it is so relevant to today and is more up to date than next month's newspaper. Forget tomorrow's newspaper, next month's newspaper, right? So he says, slanderous, without self-control, brutal. What happened to Charlie was absolutely brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power, turn away from such as these. Verse eight, just as Janus and Jambres oppose Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith, but they will not advance much further. For just like Janice and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone. However, you, however, now look verse ten here. You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, my persecutions, and the suffering. That came upon me in Antioch, in Iconium and Lystra, what persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from them all. Indeed, all who listen to this, indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. I'm going to read that again, verse twelve. Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Verse 14, but as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. From infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. And it goes on to say all scripture is God breathed, inspired by God, and it's useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work. Isn't that fascinating? Isn't that fascinating that the Bible, it plainly tells us that as we get closer to the end, here's how people are going to be, right? They're going to be lovers of themselves, not lovers of God. They're going to be boastful, they're going to be arrogant, they're going to be abusive, they're going to be brutal. They're not going to have any self-control. They're going to be unforgiving. They're going to be traitorous. They're going to be reckless. They're going to be conceited. It literally spells out everything that's going on in our world right now. But he says, but as for you, continue in the things, even though all of that is happening around you, don't waver. Don't go to the left. Don't go to the right. You need to stay focused on the things that you have learned and firmly believe. Because from infancy you you've known the holy scriptures. So, folks, as we, and especially young adults, especially you, don't be alarmed. And yes, there's going to be some things that's going to happen, and it's going to, yes, it's going to be alarming. And I'm not saying that. But what you have to understand is your overarching thoughts has to be rooted and grounded in the word of God that you already know. And that, and I want you to listen to this and I want you to understand how, because you always wonder, like, well, how does how does scripture apply to my life? Like, I just want it to be practical. I read it, and it's the this issue and the thous and the thuses and the whatever. I mean, tell me this ain't this is not practical. You can't skirt around this one. This is exactly what's going on. And this is this is Paul telling Timothy, hey, these are some of the things that are going to be coming up. And I'm telling you, these are some of the things that you're facing and that you're going to face in the future. And it's not going to get better. It's actually going to get worse. The second thing that you can expect, and I'm not going to go through everything because there's obviously a lot of things that you can expect that the Bible talks about is going to happen in the last days. But these are the things that are constantly in the news. And I want you to understand that the Bible's already, the Bible's got you, right? The Bible's already talked about this stuff. So as you as you read your Bible, and the more you get this in your spirit, the more you can walk around with your head up, knowing that, yep, the world's world's not doing real well. But you can walk around with your head up knowing that God is completely in control. He already knew that this these things would happen. God was not caught off guard when Charlie Kirk got shot. Not by one iota was God caught off guard. He knew exactly when Charlie's last day would be. And we're going to talk about that here in just a little bit, right? And provide some hope. Because I know right now you're like, oh God, Kevin, this sounds terrible. It's going to even get worse. Well, yes. I mean, it just is. But God, this you wonder how revival is going to happen. I'm getting ahead of myself right now, but you realize how revival is going to happen? The revival is going to happen because people are going to finally realize that this God of the world that they've been serving, this God of lawlessness and my truth is my truth, and your truth is your truth, and whatever you believe is what you believe, and you know, you do you boo, all that stuff. It sounds cute, sounds good, sounds cum bayage, right? But it leads to the kind of thing that you saw happen to Charlie Kirk. Like that's what that stuff leads to. And so you have to understand that there's gonna come a point where this world is gonna get so dark, the church is gonna be the only light that people see. And people are going to begin to flock there. Why? Because revival is going to break out because people will have no other hope but Christ. And people who had never thought about going to church, who never thought about some of these things, will begin to flock there. Why? Because they're going to realize that is their only hope. But when everything is going right in the world, when they they're making tons of money and the stock market hasn't crashed and the and they and they're they're going out on the weekends and doing their thing and and moving up the corporate ladder and getting the cars they want and the houses they want. See, people, they feel like they don't need God. But when things like this happen, it superimposes the need for a savior, somebody to come in and rescue us from evil. That's how it's gonna happen. But see, I'm talking to you, dear Christian. I'm talking to you because you are going to be a part of the reason why there will be revival, because you will be carrying this light. You should be carrying this light now. It doesn't mean you don't grieve. It doesn't mean that you you just bury your head in the sand and you don't know what's going on. That's not what I'm saying. But by the same token, you can know what's going on, but you can also have assurance that you can give to other people. Second thing that you're gonna have to look at, and as we get closer and closer to the end, there's gonna be wars and rumors of wars. Matthew 24, starting at verse 4, it says Jesus answered, Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming I am the Messiah. We've already seen that. People claiming that they're God. A lot of times in other countries, people are flocking to these things, and we think it's weird. We're like, oh, that's some crazy cult. Okay. Claiming I am the Messiah and will deceive many. Verse six, you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Think about it. I have heard more about the possibility of nuclear war in the last six months than I've ever had in my life. Everywhere you turn, Russia is saying, hey, you know what? Watch it, U.S. We're getting ready to don't mess with us, don't mess with our allies. Then you've got China who is who's in play. You've got Iraq, you've got Iran, you've got, I mean, think about all of these places, and more Iran, I think, than Iraq, but you've got these Middle Eastern countries that absolutely hate Israel and hate the fact that the United States supports Israel. They're just mad at Israel, they're also mad at us. And you hear these wars and rumors of wars, and and oh, we Putin might strike Poland and just all these things. The Chinese government and their military might strike Taiwan and gosh, you just hear it. But again, it's all in the scripture. You could have read these scriptures 200 years ago. It would have told you that this stuff was gonna happen. So this is this young person, this is how the Bible, this is an example of how the Bible is relevant. So he says, you will hear of wars in verse 6 of Matthew 24. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Because he says in verse 7, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. I believe the the King James says, diverse places, all types of places. All these are the beginning, verse eight says, of birth pains. That's just a beginning. In verse nine, it says, Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Verse 12, because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most, of most, that's wild, will grow cold. But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Listen to that. They're gonna hand you over to be put to death. You are gonna be hated by all nations because of me. And at that time, many will turn away from their faith and betray. How many times do you hear people saying things like, Well, I deconstructed. I used to be a Christian. Now I'm not a Christian anymore. Think about the Christian contemporary uh singers who've left the faith, person after person, who have deconstructed, not disentangled, because disentangling your faith and really trying to hone in to make sure you're solid is one thing. But deconstructing your faith in a sense where you say, you know what, I used to believe all these things, but now I don't believe that stuff anymore. This is exactly what's happening. The third thing is there's going to be a spiritual and a moral decline. First Timothy 4 and 1 says, the Spirit clearly says that in latter times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Think about how many people are into the new age right now, especially you young adults. Think about how many of your friends are, quote, spiritual. They don't go to church, they don't read their Bible, but they're spiritual. The spirit clearly says, 1 Timothy 4 and 1, that in latter times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons, New Age, Wicca, Eastern mysticism, all of these things. And I would argue these are some of the things that Charlie Kirk was trying to combat. Here's another one martyrdom will become more common. Now, listen, here's what you have to understand. Most of you who are listening to me are listening in the United States, right? And in the United States, I know that we call certain things persecution, but folks, we are not nearly. What we call persecution is child's play compared to other Christians around the world. Just because somebody makes fun of you for going to church or says a little snide remark or tells you you're an idiot on social media because you espouse Christian views, I don't think you can really call that persecution. I mean, if you want to, great. But tell that to the underground Christians in China. Tell that to the underground Christians in Iran and Iraq and Syria and North Korea. These are people who are being slaughtered for their faith, that are being killed, that are being hung, that are being tortured for their faith. But Jesus said that in the last days, these things were going to happen, that they were going to turn you over to be persecuted and put to death. So martyrdom, I just want you to understand, because Charlie could be considered that. Why? Because Charlie shared his faith and he was killed for sharing his faith and his beliefs. But get ready, because this is going to become more common, because the devil hates the truth. And if he thinks he can silence the truth, which he can't, but he's certainly going to try. And so this won't be the last person, unfortunately, that we will see die for their faith. And if you are listening to me and these things trigger you or they like me and so many others, you just it just hits you a certain way. Let me tell you something. Let this hitting you a certain way, let it spur you on to share the gospel. Don't let it cause you to bury your head in the sand and to hide your faith, but be even more bold with your faith. Be even more ready to give an answer to those who would question your faith. Let this be a moment where you rise up, not a moment where you become undercover Christian. There's no such thing as an undercover Christian. The Bible talks about letting our lights shine. It talks about us being a city on a hill that can't be hid. We are to be in the public square. We are to be in the marketplace, proclaiming the name of Jesus. I won't stop this podcast or what I'm going to do for young adults and what I'm getting ready to do for young adults because I'm afraid of whatever. Because at the end of the day, greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. And guess what, folks? I am living to live again. This is a temporary place for me, and I am fully aware of that. But while I am here, I will share the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the things that I heard as I had to kind of just be done with social media, news, radio, uh, podcasts, all the things. I felt like that's what I was supposed to do. The moment that this happened and this started started happening, and I watched the video, I should never have watched that video. It was absolutely awful. And if you have not watched that video, do not watch that video of Charlie's death. You just, you, there's zero reason why you need to watch that. We're gonna talk about that here in a second. But I you need to understand that what I'm getting ready to say, I want you to understand this is what I heard was going on, which is sad. But I heard people were cheering. I heard people were happy. And I remember before I got off of social media and kind of took a break, I remember there were people putting up things that I just could not believe they were putting up after this innocent man who was a husband and a father was assassinated in front of a bunch of college students, and his family was also in attendance. I could not believe the things that I was saying, even though I know the evil in the world, even though I know, but some of the things and things that people were posting, it was unconscionable. It was the deepest, darkest depth of evil that I've ever seen. And I know some of you had to witness friends of yours who don't believe like you do, and who doesn't have your faith, and was actually cheering and excited and glad that somebody killed this young man. And it is very easy in those moments to get angry, it is very easy in those moments for your righteous indignation to rise up. And if you're not careful, you want to hurt them. And I understand those feelings, but here's what you have to understand. And this is gonna be hard for you to hear right now. But do you realize that the Bible says, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you? Like, just think of that for a second. Let that sink in and mess with your theology for a moment. We, as this is how we become light. Because at the end of the day, folks, we don't lose. The Bible said, don't think for one second that God is not going to make right every wrong. This is why that there is an end. There is an end to evil. This is why this world will end. There is no such thing of the world just perpetually living on and on and on and evil and getting worse and worse, and God doesn't bring an end to it. He will. And every person, including this guy behind the mic, will have to stand before God and give an account for every single thing I've ever done in my body. No one escapes judgment. No one escapes answering to the God who created them. So don't think for one second that anyone is getting away with anything. The reason why you think that is because you can't see the afterlife and you don't know what that looks like until you get there. But God will deal justly with every person, no matter what they've done. And so I know how you felt when people were cheering and people were posting things that were just, but can I show you something else in scripture? Can I show you something somebody else who something similar happened to, but so much worse? Can I introduce you to a young man that was right around Charlie's age, but he never sinned? The Bible said there was no guile ever found in his mouth, that he he never said a bad word, he he never did a bad deed, he never did anything wrong. He was a sinless man, but he was also mocked. He was also, as he was dying and as he was being tortured, people mocked and laughed and ridiculed him. See, this is not something that's new. This is the human condition. This is people that operate without God. And see, this is what I'm telling you. There's God, you can only serve one. There's right, you're either on the side of truth or you're you serve the devil. You might not want to, you might not intentionally try to, but you have to understand there's only two forces in this world. There is Jesus, there's God, and there's the devil. So if you're not serving God wholeheartedly with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, guess what? Guess who you're serving? You're serving the other guy. But but but I want to introduce you to someone else who was in their 30s and who also, see, I hope we can see our need for a savior more and more. Because, see, if they did this to Jesus, yeah, so he's that 30-some-year-old guy. If they did it to Jesus, they will certainly do it to Charlie Kirk. Don't get it twisted. See, I'm I'm calibrating your perspective right now. Your perspective, young person and old person and middle-aged person, your perspective needs to be recalibrated. And you need to understand that what happened to Charlie Kirk, oh, it happened to another influential, may I add, Savior of the world. See, Jesus was mocked. Matthew 27, starting at verse 39, it says, those who passed by, now, this is when Jesus was being crucified, and there were some things that were going on before he was actually crucified, his mocking, his scourging. The Bible says that that his back, when he went to the cross, looked like a plowed field. And during this time of his scourging and his beatings, verse 39 says, Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. Because Jesus had said before this happened that he could destroy the temple, rebuild it in three days, and they had no idea he was talking about his body, but they were spiritually blind. They said, Come down from the cross if you're the Son of God. Verse 41. In the same way, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, the priests, and the elders mocked him. Verse 42, he said, They said, He saved others, they said, but he can't save himself. He's the king of Israel. Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. For he said, I am the Son of God. In the same way, the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. Luke 23, start at verse 36. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine, vinegar, the sour or sour wine, and said, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. Folks, it's the human condition. There is nothing new under the sun if they will do it to the Son of God. Church people mocked him. Do I need to read that again to you? Verse 41 of Matthew 27. In the same way, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders mocked him. Right? These were the religious people of the day. And this man who did nothing, who was Mary's son, who was Joseph's son, who had brothers and sisters, who had these things. This man who did absolutely nothing and was young. All he did was go around and sit in synagogues and places and on hillsides teaching people the truth. The same thing that Charlie duplicated. He sat outside with people and helping them, answering their questions based on what Jesus had already done, right? And I'm not equivocating Charlie Kirk to Christ. Please understand that. So I want that to be very, very clear. He never was and never will be Jesus, right? So please don't take that. That's not what I'm saying. What I am saying is the same devil and the same human condition that we saw on display, the evil that we saw on display on September 10th, is the same evil that was present when Jesus was literally walking the earth and nothing has changed. Don't be alarmed. It is the same devil, up to the same tricks, trying to deceive a different generation of people, trying to make and trying to wear us out and wear us down to the point that we renounce our faith because we're scared, because we don't understand, and because it looks like God is not in control. If God saved his own son and he allowed him to go through that brutal of a death, can I tell you that he is more than able to raise you from the dead? He is more than able to make good on every promise that he has given you in scripture that basically says, if you die, but you die knowing him, that you will then live forever. You will live forever. You need to understand the moment that Charlie breathed his last breath. Do you realize he never died on our side? But like when you die on this side, you wake up literally in the presence of God. Like that, like there's like you don't skip a beat. On our side, we see that the person passes away, but on their side, they don't skip a beat. He went straight from talking to being in the presence of God. That's our hope. And I haven't even got to hope yet. I told you this could be a longer episode, but I pray that this is encouraging you. I really do. I pray that this brings the Bible to life and makes it more relevant. Like that you understand the relevance. Well, I can't make it more relevant, but you know what I'm saying. You see the relevance of the Bible in your everyday life based on this. Let me give you some practical advice, okay? I I want to give you some practical advice that's gonna help you because I I gotta move, I gotta move quickly now. But here's some here's some practical advice that will help you. There's so much I want to say, guys. I know I pause it a little bit because there's so much I want to say. And and I I can't. I'm gonna run out of time. But I want to give you some practical advice. The news and social media are 100% a choice. Did you hear me? The news that you consume and the social media that you consume are 100% a choice. You do not have to see the things that you've been seeing, you do not have to participate. Like some of you who say, hey, Kev, I mean, it was just so much, there's so much going on, and I I can't you it that's a choice. I mean, I hate to say it that plainly, but it truly is. You don't have to be on Twitter, you don't have to be on Facebook or Instagram, you don't have to go down doom scrolling. That's a choice. And I'm gonna urge you this is very practical things. You want to upgrade your mental health, you want to not be depressed, you want to not be anxious. I believe the main reason why we have so many suicides between the ages of 16 to 30. You know why I believe that we have so many? I believe a lot of it has to do with social media. Can I can I say something to you? And will you listen to me? You were never created. To see murders, rapes, and things like that as part of a casual newsfeed. You were not created to watch a funny video, then see a story about your best friend's new baby, and then the next one is someone being murdered in front of you. You were not created for that. This is a societal norm. This is not a God intention norm. This is what we've been conditioned in society to believe is normal. And I submit to you that that is far from normal. You God didn't create. Do you understand why death is foreign to begin with? Death is a foreign concept. You know why? Because we were never created to see death. And if you don't understand that, or you say, well, Kev, I don't understand. Go back and read Genesis. God created the world the way he wanted to create the world. Everything was perfect. There was no death. There was no sweating and pain and sorrow and all that. There was none of that. Because he created the world as a utopia, right? It was like paradise. That was his goal for humanity. And when humanity sinned, it thrusts us into this place where we now experience things like death. This is why. When you go to a funeral and the person's up front is dead, it's just weird. I don't care who you are, funerals are weird. Weird. Weird. Right? And it gets even weirder when it's someone that is young. It gets even weirder when it's a baby or when it's a child and you see the small little casket up there. It's just we you don't have a category in your brain to put that in. Why? Because we were not created to experience death. So then to put it in your front of you constantly every day, as if it's just another day in the neighborhood, folks, I submit to you that that is not what God wants for your life. And I'm going to prove that to you by scripture here in a second. But this is a societal norm. And you say, well, but so what do we do with these things that encroach upon our lives and are out of God's will? You say, Well, Kev, I'm not sinning when I look at this stuff. No, no, I mean, it's not a sin to look at Facebook, it's not a sin to look at Instagram or Twitter or whatever the case may be, not a sin to watch the news. But you know what Paul said? Paul said that all things are lawful, but not everything's expedient. And that word expedient means not all things are wise to do. And he also said, Paul said, I will also, I will not come under bondage to any. You tell me if you're not in bondage to your social media. Can you go without social media for six months? If your answer is no, or you start twitching and tweaking out, then you're in bondage. Guys, it's time to face it. It's time to face the reason why a lot of us are dealing with mental health issues. Because you're inundated with the ridiculous amount of. Listen, if the president of Afghanistan says that all women in Afghanistan can't teach, can't go to school, can't be taught, can't whatever, why do you need to know that? What can you do about that? And I'm not saying there aren't people out there that have been called to do certain things like that, because there are. But most of the people that I'm talking to right now, you haven't been called to do that. You're a mom trying to take care of a baby, a husband, and three dogs. God didn't call you to try to figure out what's going on in Afghanistan. The reason why you know what's going on in Afghanistan is because you have this thing called a cellular phone. And that thing gives you got the world at its at your fingertips. That is not normal. Because you were not created to bear the weight of the world. That is God's job. So it is completely okay if you don't want to see those news stories. It is completely okay that you don't want to see murders and gore and terrible things, beheadings. Just because it's available doesn't mean that's what you should consume. All things are lawful, not everything is wise to do. And that's according to scripture. The amount of information that you see on a daily basis through Twitter and Facebook and all these news apps, it's just not normal. But see, society has made it normal, so we think that's normal. It's not. I'm here to remind you that it's not. Right? We weren't built to handle the weight of the world on our shoulders. There are people who are in the military or who first responders or nurses and doctors and crime scene investigators and all those types of people. These people are trained and they know what they're getting into when they sign up for it. I think about my oldest daughter, right? She works in the medical field. And some of the things that she tells me that she sees and and has to deal with and smells and ugh, no, thank you. But you know what? For her, that's her, that that's what she does for a living. She spends eight to ten hours a day dealing with stuff that I would never want to have to deal with. But guess what? She doesn't come home and amassed, she doesn't come home a wreck, she doesn't come home tweaking and twitching and and barely can sleep. No, she sleeps just fine. Why? Because she's that's what she does. That's what she does. She knew she went to college to study all of these things so that she would be prepared for these things. But most of you that I'm that are under the sound of my voice right now, that you you're not called to that. And you know you're not. So listen, don't subject yourself to things that are going to affect your mental health in a negative way. Listen, tell me if Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, threads, all the places, and I know there's other ones out there, but these are some of the main ones. Twitter, all the, you're right. I'm gonna read you a scripture, and I want you to tell me if you are gonna be able to live this scripture out and spend a lot of time on social media. The scripture is Philippians 4 and verse 8. This is in the ESV. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. This is Paul talking to the Philippians and saying, hey, here's what you need to be thinking on, and here's what you need to be meditating on. I mean, is there am I wrong? I mean, if you think about Twitter, you think about Facebook, you think about Instagram, you think about what's honorable on Twitter? Is there some honorable things on there? Is there some just, some pure things on Twitter? I mean, is there some lovely things or some commendable, some excellence worthy of praise? I mean, how many things on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram is worthy of praise and commendable? Not much. And you say, well, but but Kev, every other, every other post is like my friend and their new car and the and the pretty babies and the and the funny videos. You know what? It's like picking through the trash can. You'll probably find a good apple, but look what you got to pick through just to get to the to the good apple. And by the time you get to that, you've got so much. I was about to say the C word. You got so much garbage on your arms and hands in nasty mess, possibly needles from somebody shooting up because you're digging through a trash can. Oh, but I found me one good apple, but look at what you did to your skin while you did. Now you've got whatever. This that's how social media is. You get two good stories and 47 ones that is going to affect your mental health for the next month. No, thank you. Don't continue to do the same thing day after day after day, and day after day, and expect different results. That is the definition of insanity. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things. In my last few minutes, I am going to, I want to, I want to share some hope with you, okay? One thing you have to understand if you are a Christ follower, you have hope. You have something that no one else on this planet that's not a Christ follower has. You have hope. Listen to this. Because a lot of people felt when this happened that Christians, that we just we lost. They were actually able to, quote, steal one of ours away and take his life. Oh, but listen to what the word of God says. First Corinthians 15, 51 through 58. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to life forever. I could literally run around the studio. I won't because I have some reformed people listening. But listen, that's a joke. That's a joke, that's a joke. Love you. But listen to what he said. He says in 1 Corinthians 15, starting verse 51, but let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed. Verse 52, it will happen in a moment, in a blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown, for when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who have who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die. Our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Listen, we're just talking about the rapture here. We're gonna be caught up, right? Then when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, the scripture will be fulfilled. Listen to this. Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting? For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God, He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. See, this is the part, this is the hope, folks. This young man thought he was taking away Charlie Kirk. So many other people who have been martyred for their faith. People who have no hope think that they are taking hope away from others. But here's what you've listened and you've heard what the scripture is saying, these last few scriptures that I'm reading. He says, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your sting? Let me go back to that 30-some-year-old man who was, wait a minute, died on the cross, and he died and he rose three days later. Listen to me. The fact that that 30-some-year-old man did that is the very reason why the moment that Charlie Kirk breathed his last breath, he was literally in the arms of that other 30-year-old man who also gave his life. And the only reason why Charlie could be in the arms of that man is because that 33-year-old man died for the sins of all mankind. Come on, that's the only reason. Because he took the sting, Jesus took the sting out of death. When he died, he took the keys back from hell and death, and now he has victory over death. So you know what? That that assassin, all he did was take who was get Charlie to the place that Charlie was going anywhere, anyway, quicker. That's all. That's all he did. He didn't actually take the truth out of the earth. The truth is still gonna permeate the earth until there is no earth. Listen, listen to this one. I'm about to close. My producer's gonna go crazy. Listen, I'm about to close. Verse 58 says, So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong, immovable. Again, like I said, don't go and hide. Don't go, nope, be even more bold now. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. Think about Charlie. Nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. One of my last points, two last points here. We don't grieve like the world does. Listen, the world grieves, the world thinks that there is no hope. There are people who are at that rally who, yes, they may have agreed with Charlie politically, but they didn't agree with him spiritually. And you know what? They have no hope because they think they'll never see Charlie again. Why? Because they're not a Christian and they don't understand heaven. But listen to what 1 Thessalonians 4 13 through 18 says. It says, brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again. And so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. People who have died in him, God is going to bring him back with Jesus. Listen to what it says. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep or have died. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive in our left will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage one another with these words. They're basically, listen, I can sum this all up. This scripture, he's basically saying, listen, I don't want you to be uninformed about people who die. Because listen, God is coming back for them and he's gonna raise them from the dead. And guess what? When the second coming happens, when Jesus returns, we're all gonna re-reunite. So if you are a Christian and you, most of you who are under the sound of my voice right now, you haven't even, you never even met Charlie Kirk. You probably you were just you weren't in his circles or you weren't at a city where he had a rally or whatever the case may be. But here's what you have to know. Here's what you have to know. Even though you didn't know him in this life and you didn't see him in this life, do you realize you're actually going to spend eternity with him? You're literally going to spend eternity with Charlie Kirk. You'll be able to go up to him and talk to him. You probably would have never met him in this life. But because you have put your faith in Christ just like he did, you will see him again. So the assassin has no victory. There literally is no victory. And the at the end, I understand there's temporary sadness here. And I, God, I feel horrible for his wife and his children. But even they will see him again. This is not the end. Listen to what else he does. I'm giving you this is hope, folks. He gives us peace. John 14, 27, peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Because the world gives happiness. They don't give true peace and joy. Happiness comes and goes. You get a watch today, or you get a car today, you're happy. Five years from now, that car doesn't make you happy anymore. But Jesus, Jesus says, peace, I leave with you. Peace. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Isaiah 26 and 3. You will keep him in perfect peace, perfect, flawless peace, whose mind are steadfast because they trust in you. You can't have peace watching a bunch of chaos on your feet all day. You can't have peace doom scrolling. But you can have peace according to scripture if your mind is stayed on Jesus and if you're thinking about what's noble, what's right, what's pure, what's lovely, what's commendable. Remember that scripture? Here's another thing that God promises in the last days that He's going to pour out His spirit. Revival is going to come in the last days. Listen to what Joel says really quick. Joel 2, 29, I got to get out of here. And afterward, verse 28. Joel 2, verse 28. I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. Even on my menservants and maidservants, I will pour out my spirit in those days, those days, our days, what we're living in right now. Remember, I said the world is getting darker, which means the church is going to shine brighter, which bring that, which is going to bring people to the light. It's going to bring people to the church. You got to be ready. You can't be so bogged down by what's going on in the world because you've been, all you're doing is doom scrolling every day and listening to the news and watching the news and doing all this kind of stuff. You can't be, because then you're just going to be just as dark as the world. Why? Because you're going to be in the corner shivering and shaking and overcome with anxiety and fear and depression. And why would they want what you have? They're going to be like, well, I thought a Christian, I thought it was supposed to be different. But they won't see any difference if you are in the same shape that they're in. And the only way that you don't become in the shape that they're in is you do all the things that we talked about today. Right? Listen, Charlie was doing what he was called to do. He literally died while doing what he felt he was called to do. This is what he was living for. See, we get stuck here and we say, well, but you don't understand. Like we need him here. You be the next Charlie. It doesn't mean you have to get political. You could just share Jesus. He didn't just share his political views, he shared Jesus with people. That's the most important thing, more than politics. Charlie was doing, he died doing what he was called to do. When you have a kingdom mindset, you grieve. But listen, it's not without hope because you will see him again. If you're a Christian, get this. If you're a Christian, whether you agreed with him or not, you'll see him there because he's put his faith and his trust in God. He put his faith and he put his trust in God.

SPEAKER_03: 1:21:33

How do you want to be remembered? If I die, everything just goes away. How would you, if you could be associated with one thing, how would you want to be remembered?

SPEAKER_01: 1:21:42

I want to be remembered for for courage from my faith. That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith in my mind.

SPEAKER_02: 1:21:50

See you later, Charlie.

SPEAKER_00: 1:21:52

Thanks for listening. Got a question for Kevin? A Bible topic you want us to cover? Or some feedback? We'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the plugin. We're reviewing the listening. And follow us the social media to take the media between the pistol.