Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of his saints. — Psalm 116:15

This past Wednesday, God called one of His saints to be a witness with his life—with his last breath. Yet, the bullet that struck Charlie Kirk had no real power because everything in creation is under the direct control and supervision of our great God. It is God who called him to this final task.

Charlie died as he lived—he was amidst discussion and debate on a public college campus surrounded by a mixed multitude of people on all sides of the debate when he was fatally struck. One would have been blind if they did not see his desire for open, honest, and respectful dialogue with all those with whom he disagreed. And further, there’s scarcely a clip of him in any medium or place where Jesus and the gospel did not fall easily from his lips. His faith poured out of him at every opportunity. Life sprang forth from his mouth—as it should from every Christ follower—and many enemies of Christ hated him for it. For those enemies, Charlie was a proxy for their real hate. This is exactly what Jesus speaks of in John 14, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

Jesus walked the path before Charlie. That’s why he was able to boldly enter the lion’s den time and again and witness for Christ against degeneracy, trans ideology, abortion, and many more evils.

Ultimately, Charlie’s light cannot be put out, for it was the light of Jesus that shone through him. He was but a vessel, and the extinguishing of his life only flames Christ’s light to brighter glory in each of us. May we be as bold in whatever station we are called, in whatever duty God has for us. This week, as you remember Charlie Kirk, proclaim the gospel boldly through your words and through your deeds as you give all praise and glory to Christ, our King!

Every chapter of the Bible is encouraging, of course, but Revelation 13 has to rank up there as one of the tops. That might sound funny, since it isn’t a psalm or a chapter from Song of Solomon or even from the book of Romans!

But several features stand out. From heaven to earth, from sky to land, Satan the Dragon is defeated by our Lord, by our brother and sisterly martyrs, by the godly Eves/Mary’s of biblical history, by our Father who gives the woman wings to fly away. In other words, Satan is no match for God and his followers. Though he was the greatest of angels, rebellion has wasted him, rendering him but a fly in the ointment of historical disappointment. He will reign over no one, will have no kingdom at all, when he is eventually thrown in the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20). But not you! You can resist him now, extinguish his darts, and overcome him daily in union with Jesus. You, united with Jesus, rule over angels. They are but your ministering servants! You by your prayers and perseverance, keeping your eyes on Jesus, are overcomers who cannot be mastered by Satan or his angels. What a glorious position to be in; what a glorious inheritance you have now and will have forever! Is this not the hope and demonstration of Revelation 13?

Joy to the world!

The Holy Spirit is always “hovering around” when a new creation is being built in the scriptures, and that’s important for us to meditate on every once in a while.

The Spirit hovers over the creation in Genesis 1, when the world is first made. Later, with Noah on the ark, the Spirit shows up in the form of the dove (later on we see the dove imaging the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism) hovering over the new world. When Israel comes out of Egypt, the Spirit is hovering over them in the cloud as they are made a new creation, a new nation. The Spirit fills the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle upon completion, signifying that the Spirit fills Israel as his new creation. The same thing happens upon the completion of the Temple: the Spirit-Cloud fills the Temple sanctuary, bonding with Israel as his sanctuary. Gabriel promises Mary that the Spirit will “overshadow” her at the conception of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit alights on Jesus in the form of a dove at his baptism, anointing him as the Messiah. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit shows up in rushing wind with tongues of fire on the saints, symbolizing them as living temples.

Which brings us to you, your baptized children, and your baptized brethren: you all are “overshadowed” in the Holy Spirit, and we are personal temple dwellings of the Spirit, continuing the apostolic line of Pentecost! Filled with the Spirit, we live to glorify God in our bodies, because we are glorified beings as his temple!

Remember Paul’s admonition? “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19–20).