Remembering Charlie Kirk
The Voice of the Church Will Not Be Silenced
Source: AP Photo: Jeffrey Phelps
What a whirlwind these last few days have been in our nation. We are living in a hallmark moment of our generation with the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
I was in a meeting planning for our first-ever crusade in Argentina when I received the text: Charlie had been shot. Within minutes, I saw the video—brutal, bloody, final.
I wish I had never seen it, and I urge you not to.
I had only been in the same room with Charlie once, at a fundraiser a few months ago. Yet I was struck by his courage, poise, and passion. At just 31 years old, he was boldly walking onto hostile college campuses, unashamedly declaring Jesus, and engaging opponents with grace.
That night, I told my wife, “This man could be President someday.”
Whether or not you agreed with his politics, his murder was savage and senseless. And yet, all of us who are grieving know—this moment feels different. The grief is deeper, the response wider. Something much more spiritual is happening.
As I prayed, I wept like I had lost a brother. Though I never met him face to face, we are brothers in Christ, and we will rejoice together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But here and now, I wrestle: Why would God allow something so devastating, so public, so graphic, for the world to see? What is He saying to His Church?
The shock drove me back to Jesus. He, too, was murdered—yet willingly gave His life. Without His death, there would have been no resurrection. Death was not the end; it was the catalyst for resurrection life.
It’s natural to search for meaning. And when someone like Charlie—an outspoken Christian with a global platform—is taken, it hits us differently.
I think back to my first crusade in Colombia in 2019, held at the very site of the nation’s witches’ convention. That night, I saw a 10-year-old girl instantly healed of a massive tumor. The tumor was the largest I had ever seen as it protruded out from her neck and looked like it connected to her shoulder. As I prayed it literally shrunk under my hand and I barely recognized the girl I had laid hands on.
Thousands were also saved. A miraculous night in an area where the devil had been running rampant! But hours later, I nearly died, suffering a severe trauma where food lodged in my throat for over an hour. By a miracle, I drank some Coca-Cola and it dislodged just before surgery. That incident left a lasting reminder, and even today I deal with flare-ups. The devil tried to take me out at the throat, but Jesus won the war.
Looking back, I know this was a demonic attack on my voice. Since then, more than 2 million souls have come to Christ, guns have jammed, bombs have failed, and angels have been seen guarding our crusades. Time and again, God has spared my life.
Charlie, too, was struck in the throat. A friend messaged me to look up the meaning of Kirk. Its meaning is profound. Kirk means church.
The enemy’s plan is clear: silence the voice of the Church.
But this moment is not random. Proverbs 18:21 declares that life and death are in the power of the tongue. If fear can silence us, darkness advances. But if the blood-bought Church rises and speaks, no power of hell can prevail.
Charlie’s legacy is already multiplying. He dreamed of Turning Point chapters on every campus. At his death, there were 900. There are around 34,000 combined high school and college. Since Erika’s courageous speech, more than 37,000 requests have poured in. Spiritually, his martyrdom is sparking fresh boldness and countless new voices proclaiming Christ.
I preached my first sermon at 17, titled Fulfilling Your Purpose. I closed with Acts 13:36: "For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.”
"For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.”
- Acts 13:36
David fulfilled his purpose at 70. Martin Luther King Jr. at 39. Jesus at 33. And now, Charlie Kirk at 31. From heaven’s perspective, I believe the words have already been spoken: “Well done, Charlie. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”
We may not understand it all this side of eternity.
But I know this: God is working all things for good.
And in moments like these, we see even more clearly the need for prayer, boldness, and unity. The march of the Gospel continues, and the Church will not be silenced.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified and do not be overwhelmed, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua 1:9