September 30: Speaking TRUTH Draws Enemies – Galatians 4:16
Dr. Vliet will lead the program with three video presentations, by Charlie Kirk himself, then Pastor Allen Jackson with Charlie Kirk (April 2025) and Pastor Gary Hamrick (Sept. 15,2025), followed by discussion.
After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, many are feeling grief, anger, and sadness. Paul asked the Galatians, “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16). Unfortunately, when we live the truth and tell the truth, many will see us as their enemy. Jesus said that some will even hate us (John 15:18-19). Nevertheless, God calls us to love people, to be bold ambassadors of the truth, and to be unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do YOU love people enough to tell them the Truth? It’s time for all of us as individuals, and the church collectively, to be the voice of Biblical truth to a dark where the forces of evil have been unleashed. The institutional church is failing to recognize the reality of spiritual forces impacting our world, leaving many believers vulnerable and confused. We will continue the discussion begun by Pastor Jackson and Charlie Kirk, and seek ways we can be part of the solution to this escalating problem.
https://rumble.com/embed/v6xl8y4/?pub=cw76n
Major Gary’s FOF Seminar notes:
When Violence Strikes, the Gospel Marches On
The shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk sounded more than a political alarm — it awakened spiritual sensitivity in large corners of the Christian world. What was meant for harm, God is using for revival. Many now feel the call to rise from numbness or silence, to reengage in faith boldly.
Outpouring of Spiritual Response
In the wake of the tragedy, churches across America have reported surges of attendance. Some congregations say their sanctuaries were filled to overflowing — people parking on the grass, overflow crowds, even first-time visitors drawn in by the moment. Pastors report hundreds making decisions for Christ in a single Sunday following the event. This is more than nostalgia or reaction — it is spiritual hunger brought to the surface by trauma.
Faith leaders from many traditions have publicly wrestled with what it means to live out belief when the cost feels so extreme. Some call for renewed courage and clarity about Christian witness in a polarized age. Others exhort caution: that revival is not stirred by spectacle or grievance, but by repentance, love, and truth.
Between Political Violence and Gospel Witness
The assassination does raise hard questions about the collision of faith, culture, and politics. Many observers see this act as symptomatic of an “assassination culture” — a degradation of civic discourse into violence and dehumanization. But Christians must resist being swallowed by reactionary anger. The Gospel does not advance through retribution, but through sacrificial love, forgiveness, and the slow work of reconciling hearts.
At Kirk’s memorial service, the themes of forgiveness and gospel witness were brought to the forefront. His widow’s posture — invoking Christ’s words “Father, forgive them” — became a tangible model of how believers are called to respond to evil. In that moment, we see that while evil attacks, the Christian call is not to escalate violence but to stand firm in faith, mercy, and truth.
Here I Am, Lord — Send Me
Charlie Kirk’s life and death echo Isaiah 6, where the prophet answered God’s call with the words: “Here I am, Lord, send me.” Kirk stepped into the public square knowing the cost, willing to bear the weight of scorn and risk for speaking truth. Many churches today claim they want to do the same, but few truly mean it. Too often, American Christianity has been content with comfort, cultural acceptance, and safety.
We live in a time when believers shy away from persecution, when the slightest social pressure causes silence, and when faith is privatized to avoid offense. This reveals a deeper weakness: many American Christians have grown apathetic to Christ’s mission — the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Instead of running into the fire, we often retreat into comfort. Instead of bearing the cross, we seek applause. The assassination of a public Christian leader is a wake-up call to the church: discipleship was never meant to be easy or safe.
A Voice in the Wilderness — Honoring Charlie Kirk
Tonight, we remember and honor Charlie Kirk — a man whose life and witness reminds us of the voices in Scripture who cried out in dark times, calling people back to truth, repentance, and the love of God.
Like John the Baptist, Charlie was a voice of one calling in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him” (Matthew 3:3). He stood boldly in a culture often hostile to truth, pointing not to himself but to Christ, urging people to turn back to God.
Charlie also lived out the charge of Romans 13 — reminding rulers and authorities of their God-ordained role. When government turned corrupt, when leaders strayed from justice, Charlie offered correction and reproof, speaking truth to power with conviction, yet always with love for his country and his fellow man.
But perhaps most striking, Charlie’s life echoes that of Stephen in Acts 6 and 7. Stephen, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the Gospel with boldness, even as opposition rose against him. In his final moments, as stones rained down, Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). He forgave those who hated him, just as Christ forgave from the Cross.
Charlie had that same spirit. He did not give up on the lost. He carried a burden for those blinded by lies, continually reaching out with truth, conviction, and love. His message was not one of condemnation, but of salvation — a plea that hearts would turn to Christ before it was too late.
And just as the heavens opened for Stephen and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56), so we can only imagine Charlie now, welcomed into glory, embraced by the Savior he so faithfully proclaimed.
Friends, Charlie Kirk’s life is a call to us. It’s a reminder that we, too, are called to be voices in the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord, to speak truth even when it costs us, to love the lost even when they mock us, and to never grow weary in doing good.
May we honor Charlie’s memory not only with words tonight, but by carrying forward his mission: to stand for truth, to shine light in darkness, and to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ without fear.
Our Duty as Christians Today
- Anchor in Christ, not in a movement. When public figures die, movements may rally, but the Gospel is never ultimately tethered to any one person. We must root ourselves deeper in Christ, not in ideology or personality.
- Pursue Revival, Not Reaction. Spiritual revival is not born from outrage alone. It is birthed through repentance, prayer, Scripture, and the Spirit’s renewing work.
- Refuse Dehumanization. Violence begins when we stop seeing others as made in God’s image. Christians must guard speech, avoid demonizing opponents, and call out injustice without becoming the same in spirit.
- Bear Wounds and Bring Healing. Tragedy leaves wounds. The church’s role is not to exploit pain but to bind it — to be present to those suffering, to offer hope, to walk with people through grief and doubt.
- Stand with Courage, Speak with Love. The Gospel demands boldness. But boldness without charity is hollow. Let us speak truth — even unpopular truth — in kindness, grace, and gentleness.
- Reject Comfort Christianity. If revival is to be real, the church must abandon its obsession with safety and acceptance. The world does not need a church that hides from discomfort — it needs a church that embraces the cross.
Conclusion
Charlie Kirk’s death has sparked a moment — a rupture in the cultural narrative — opening space for reflection, repentance, and revival. That space is sacred. Many are now drawn toward a spiritual reawakening. But the true movement is not a reaction to violence but a return to the cross. When evil strikes, Christians must not shrink — the Gospel marches on.
Let us rise in faith, not fueled by fury, but sustained by the One who conquered death itself. May we be voices in the wilderness, proclaiming Christ without fear, and may revival come not through comfort, but through obedience.
