It’s Time for Decisions

Tragedies bring out the best in some people and the worst in others.  In the aftermath of a tragedy, people make decisions about what they are going to do and which side they are going to choose.   

Franklin Graham, having made his decision, spoke in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination stating, “I think the devil has overplayed his hand… tens of thousands of young people will pick up Charlie’s banner and courageously speak truth in a culture that tries to deny God’s truth. …Charlie Kirk said, ‘I want to be remembered for courage for my faith …the most important thing is my faith in my life.’  A single bullet silenced his voice…, but it can’t erase his influence, his legacy, and his testimony for Jesus Christ.”  

Kirk’s packed-to-capacity Sunday memorial service had 70,000 people present with 20,000 people attending in overflow venues.  Law enforcement officials stated the crowd was around 200,000 people.  The “memorial service drew one of the largest public turnouts for a private citizen.”  Additionally, there were “at least 20 million cable TV and online viewers.” “Worldwide livestream totals exceeded 100 million.” 

At the service Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2:48 in video) said Charlie reached young men with values of getting married, having a family, and raising productive children in the greatest nation on earth.  But Rubio stated the greatest thing for which Charlie wanted to be remembered was his deep belief “we were all created, every single one of us, before the beginning of time, by the hands of the God of the universe.  An all-powerful God who loved us created us and created us for the purpose to live with Him in eternity.  But then sin entered world and separated us from our Creator.  So, God took on the form of a man and came down and lived among us.  And He suffered like men.  And He died like a man, but on the third day He rose, unlike any mortal man.  And to prove any doubters wrong, He ate with His disciples, so they could see, and they touched His wounds.  He didn’t rise as a ghost or as a spirit, but as flesh.  And then He rose to heaven, but He promised He would return, and He will.  And when He returns, because He took on that death, because He carried that cross, we were freed from the sin that separated us from Him.  And when He returns, there is going to be a new heaven and a new earth, and we are going to have a great reunion with Charlie and all the people we love.”  Marco Rubio made a choice.  He decided which side he’s on. 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated (2:54 in video) Charlie was a “true believer.  Only Christ is King, our LORD and Savior.  Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus.  Fear God and fear no man.  That was Charlie Kirk.”  Speaking to the disharmony existing in our nation, Hegseth stated, “This is not a political war.  It’s not even a cultural war.  It’s a spiritual war.  Faith and family first.  There is a God, and as Charlie would say, ‘It is not us.’  We are sinners saved only by grace in need of the Gospel.”  He said Charlie realized and infused into his movement the fact that “we need a lot more God.”  In closing Hegseth stated, “Put Christ at the center of your life.”  Pete Hegseth made a choice.  He decided which side he’s on. 

Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stated (3:03 in video), “Charlie understood the great paradox that it’s only by surrender to God, that God’s power can flow into our lives and make us effective human beings.”  When Kennedy’s brother died, he asked his mother if the hole they leave in you when they die, does it ever get any smaller?  Kennedy said his mother stated, “It never gets any smaller, but our job is to grow ourselves bigger around the hole, and we do that by taking the best qualities, the most admirable character traits of the person that died and integrate them with restraint, with discipline, with practice, into our own character, and in doing that, we make ourselves larger and the hole gets proportionally smaller…  their work continues through us.”  He stated his granddaughter was packing for college when her mother noticed she packed a Bible.  When asked, “Why?”  The granddaughter responded, “she wanted to live more like Charlie.” Kennedy and his family are making choices.  They have decided which side they are on. 

Donald Trump Jr.  (3:08 in video) stated “our message of faith, family and country will not be silenced. …If you believe that American values are worth defending, welcome.  If you believe in faith, family and freedom, then you are with us. …If you believe in God, and family and country, you are one of us.”  Donald Trump, Jr. has made a choice.  He has decided which side he’s on. 

Vice President J.D. Vance (3:24 in video) stated, instead of a funeral today, “we have had a revival in celebration of Charlie Kirk and of his LORD Jesus Christ.”  Vance stated Kirk brought forward the truth that young people could have a stake in the future, they could have a voice, that marriage and family were higher callings than education credentials or a job, that our nation would fade without order in its neighborhoods, and that life was precious and should be protected at all stages.  But Vance said, “most of all Charlie brought the truth that Jesus Christ was the King of kings and that all truth flowed from this first and most important one.”  Vance stated, “I always felt a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public as much as I love LORD and as much as it was an important part of my life.  I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life. …It is better to be persecuted for your faith, than deny the Kingship of Christ.”  J.D. Vance has made a choice.  He decided which side he’s on. 

President Donald Trump (4:17 in video) addressed the fact that his entire cabinet was present and many members of congress.  Trump stated, “This is like an old-time revival.”  Trump stated that Charlie realized we don’t just need a political realignment, but “we need a spiritual reawakening.”  Trump stated, “We want religion brought back into America.  We want God back in our beautiful U.S.A. like never before.  We want God back.”  Trump has made his choice.  He has decided which side he’s on. 

So, what decision will you make today?  Which side will you be on.  The time of sitting on the fence is over.   

When disciples were brought before a council of leadership and told to stop preaching about Jesus, a great teacher named Gamaliel stood up and said (Acts 5:38,39) “if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”