Charlie Kirk - a tribute

It was as I was preparing the post for my French-language blog that went out last Sunday, that I heard the news of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Like so many more around the world, I was both shocked and saddened, and tears welled up in my eyes. Why? I had never met this young man - 31 one years of age when he was murdered. I had never been at one of the events that he had hosted in so many university campuses. However, I had often heard him speak as I watched YouTube videos taken at many of those events, and had been greatly impressed by his knowledge, his unapologetic testimony to Jesus as his Saviour and Lord, and his calm demeanour in the face of many attempts to rile him. He was known for his political debate, passion for sharing Christ, and support for Israel.

On the day following his assassination, I started to read, again, the book of the prophet Jeremiah. As is my custom, I lifted down a couple of commentaries from my bookshelves, that I might benefit from the words of those who understand much more than I. One of those was a Scripture Union book from many years ago, written by Rev A.E.Cundall. In the introduction to Jeremiah, I read these words: "The prophet Jeremiah ... was an exceedingly courageous man. Called to an extremely difficult task, that of proclaiming God's judgement upon an unresponsive,apostate Judah, he stuck to his task for forty years in spite of popular resentment, which sometimes took violent forms. A lesser man would have given in long before this. Jeremiah had an especial heartache, for he was every inch a patriot; he loved his people and it grieved him to see them inching towards the disaster which he foresaw so clearly, but to which they were so blind."

I would suggest that that description would, to a very large extent, fit Charlie Kirk. 

Last Sunday's French blog post was based on II Tim.2:24 - "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher," (emphasis added). I had shared the road that I had been obliged to travel before entering the teaching profession, here in Scotland, and made the point that disciples of Jesus don't have to follow such a path, but that we should all be teachers in our own way - teaching the Gospel message by word and action.

Those words of Paul to Timothy applied to Charlie Kirk. He withdrew from university studies after one year because he had quickly recognised that he was not being educated, but indoctrinated. Yet, he had a wealth of information at his fingertips, including an apparently encyclopaedic knowledge of God's written Word, that I wish I could match. He was certainly "an apt teacher".

Let those of us who pray, seek to uphold his widow, Erika, and their two young children, before the throne of grace.

I want to write more, but that would make this post unacceptably long, so I'll leave that until next time. Be sure to read!

How to Know the Will of God.

Maybe it's an age thing, but I find myself, more and more, thinking of my life as a much younger person! One of the organisations to which I belonged was the Boys' Brigade - a Christian organisation for young lads. In my day I started in the Lifeboys, and moved on to the older group, where I was privileged to hold every rank apart from Sergeant, and Captain (and including, of course, Chaplain!).

One of the Bible quotations that was impressed upon me in those far-off days was: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." (Prov.3:5-6). Of course, in the 1950s, we learned it in the AV translation: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”  Just for the record, the other important verse that was committed to memory was: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Thy word." (Ps.119:9.) 

The key to knowing God’s will is willingness and determination to follow it before knowing it. “... if any man’s will is to do His will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God ...” (John 7:17).

 

The best indicator as to whether one is really willing to follow God’s will, of course, is whether or not he is now following that part of His will which is already known, as revealed in His Word. This requires first knowing and believing, and then obeying, the Word, especially those portions dealing with God’s general will for all Christians. “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105). Then, if one indeed is following the revealed will of God, he may ask in confidence: "And this is the confidence which we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him." (1 John 5:14-15). Further, we may ask the Lord to indicate His will in a specific matter on which there is no explicit Biblical teaching: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, Who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6).

 

God will then answer, though it may not be immediately. “... He told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1). It may not be in accordance with our preferences or personal judgment, but it will always be for the ultimate best. “... for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose."  (Romans 8:26-28).

 

God will lead in two ways in the absence of specific Scripture guidance (which must always take precedence, of course). One is by providential circumstances, the other by inner witness of the Spirit, and these two must agree. Then, if all the terms have been met, we should proceed to follow God’s will as best we can, knowing that God will redirect us if we have made a mistake. God does want us to know His will, and He will “direct our paths.”