This is long but worth it…

I wasn’t familiar with Charlie Kirk. My son Mark told me listened to some podcasts but found it difficult because the questions people asked Charlie were so inane. Mark’s observation was that Charlie was “blessed with more patience than I’ll ever have.” Yes, Charlie was a spokesman for conservative, Republican values. He was also, from what I understand from many sources, a strong spokesman for Jesus and Christian values. And there’s no question he was killed for his ideas. Disagree with someone? Kill them! It’s not a new idea:

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. (Acts 6.8 – 10, ESV)

“They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking,” so they did the only thing they could do. They killed him.

Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law…” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him… (Acts 6.11 – 13, 7.57, 58, ESV)

I have read many editorials from a variety of people on Charlie Kirk’s Christian qualities and how we should respond. None is better than this piece by a second-career pastor in rural Missouri, Rich Bitterman. I offer it in its entirety without further comment: The Cross Still Offends.

The bullet tore the air in half.

A folding chair rattled. A Bible dropped. A young man slumped sideways beneath a white event tent, eyes wide with the weight of eternity.

It was supposed to be a conversation. A “prove me wrong” segment. But this time, rebuttal came not with words, but with a rifle.

Charlie Kirk didn’t get to finish his sentence.

I got the news just before prayer meeting. I contemplated this death as I prepared to lead the saints in prayer. But I didn’t feel like praying. Not tonight. My hands were still. My mouth was ready. But my soul was pacing. Angry. Grieving. Tempted.

Tempted to grow quiet.
Tempted to sit this one out.
Tempted to wonder if any of this, faith, boldness, public gospel witness, is still worth it.

Because hatred in this country isn’t simmering anymore. It is boiling.

Europe is trembling. Israel is burning. Rockets lit the sky over Gaza again. And now, here on American soil, the blood of a Christian apologist paints the pavement of a university quad.

What do you do with that?

What do you say when courage gets gunned down in daylight?

---

Charlie Kirk was no perfect man. None of us are.

But he had backbone where most of us don’t anymore. He was a believer. Unashamed. Unafraid. He understood that real conversations only happen when truth is welcome at the table. And the truth he carried most was Christ.

He brought the gospel into public space on purpose. Because the gospel isn’t supposed to stay in church basements and private Bible studies. It is meant to confront. It is supposed to offend. It was not made for safety.

The Word became flesh and they nailed Him to a tree.

So of course they came for Charlie.

Of course they reached for a gun.

This is what evil does when it runs out of arguments. It doesn’t reason. It kills.

---

That’s the part that catches in my throat. Not just the sadness, but the strategy of hell behind it.

The Enemy wants us afraid.
He wants us to see what happened to Charlie and backpedal.
He wants the rest of us to whisper, to soften the message, to believe the lie that faith should stay private.

But Christ never whispered.
He preached in temples, on hillsides, in courtrooms, at dinner tables.
And when they told Him to be quiet, He picked up His cross.

Not a symbolic one.
A real one.
Heavy. Bloody. Splintered.

When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He didn’t hand out maps. He handed out crosses.

---

That’s what I remembered tonight.

I sat in our prayer space, surrounded by saints who had brought prayer lists and worn Bibles. And I realized I didn’t want to lead them in mourning. I wanted to lead them into battle. Not with banners or fists, but with open Bibles and tear-stained prayers.

The kind of war that kneels in gravel beside the wounded, hands them living water, and refuses to leave. The kind that speaks both mercy and judgment without flinching. The kind Charlie died for.

This world is not a friend to grace. But grace isn’t fragile.

---

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
Paul didn’t leave that question unanswered.

“Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”
—Romans 8:35

He piles up every fear you and I carry and then sets them on fire.

“No. In all these things we are more than conquerors.”

That means bullets don’t win. Slander doesn’t win. Prison bars don’t win. Death doesn’t win.

You can lose everything in this world and still walk into glory with your head lifted high. Because the love of God in Christ Jesus isn’t suspended by headlines or gunfire.

---

There are two worlds unfolding right now.

The one you see.
And the one you don’t.

One is filled with chaos. The other is filled with crowns.

I believe that when Charlie Kirk’s body slumped to the concrete, his soul stood upright in heaven. Not limping. Not silenced. Not stunned. But crowned.

He didn’t fall.
He crossed.

The great cloud of witnesses gained another voice.
And I wonder if Stephen met him there.
The first martyr.
The man who got stoned for preaching what the crowd didn’t want to hear.
The man who, in his final breath, saw the heavens open.
The only time in all of Scripture we see Jesus standing at the right hand of God, rising to receive one of His own.

I like to believe He stood again.

---

Are you afraid?

Do you feel the tremble in your spirit?

Do you wonder if it’s still worth it to speak boldly, to carry your Bible, to preach the gospel in a world that doesn’t just disagree but wants you gone?

You’re not alone.

You’re not weak for feeling that.
But you are called to something stronger than silence.

Don’t let fear become your theology.

The cost is high. But the reward?

The reward is Christ. And He’s not a concept. He’s a King.

---

Heaven is not empty.

It is filled with scarred saints who refused to bow to fear.
Men who were stoned.
Women who were burned.
Children who sang while the flames climbed.

And every last one of them arrived.

There is no difficulty that can cancel the promise of God.
There is no persecution that can derail your destination.
There is no sniper’s bullet that can separate a soul from Christ.

Your life is not measured by how long you live on earth, but by how much of it was spent pointing to heaven.

---

Paul said, “I have fought the good fight… I have kept the faith.”
Then he looked toward the reward.
Not a monument. Not a mention in history books.
But a crown.
Handed to him by the One with nail marks still in His hands.

So let me say this clearly.
We do not mourn like the world mourns.
We do not write eulogies dripping with sentiment.
We sing songs of resurrection.
We carry the banner of a Kingdom that does not tremble.

Charlie Kirk did not die for nothing.
He died carrying the same message you and I must now carry forward.

The cross stands tall.
The tomb is still empty.
And the gospel has not lost one ounce of power.

---

So pick up your cross.
Wipe your eyes.
And keep going.

The crown is worth it.
The King is coming.
And there’s still time to speak.

Even if they shoot.

---

Lord, give us courage.
And if not safety, give us joy.
For we carry not just the message, but the marks.
And You are worth every bruise.

Amen. – Pastor Rich Bitterman, September 11, 2025

I frequently find practical, actionable advice in Sahil Bloom’s newsletters. The last time I shared something from Sahil was August 30, 2025, the third in a series of three blogs.

Here’s something I’m still processing from 34 Short Lessons on Money. These are the first three:

Being Mega-Rich is wildly overrated. There are really only four basic levels of financial wealth: Poor, Not Poor, Rich, and Mega-Rich. Each incremental leap has significantly deteriorating benefits. Being Not Poor is dramatically better than being Poor, but being Mega-Rich may actually be worse than being Rich. This has to do with the types of problems at each level and the ability of money to solve them. All the major money-solved problems are eliminated at the Rich level, but all the major money-created problems seem to pop up at the Mega-Rich level.

There are a lot of rich people who spend all their time trying to impress even more rich people. It strikes me as one of the dumbest games you can play, but I’m willing to bet very few people realize they’re playing it.

The best uses of money are those that create one of four things in your life: Time, experiences, purpose, or health. Above a certain level, money is best viewed as a tool to create those other things, not a goal in and of itself.

“All the major money-solved problems are eliminated at the Rich level, but all the major money-created problems seem to pop up at the Mega-Rich level.”

Wow. Solomon seemed to know that:

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5.10 – 12, ESV)

So did Jesus:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? …And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6.25 – 30, ESV)

Paul did, too:

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6.6 – 10, ESV)

Psalm 104 speaks to God’s works. People work by day. Animals hunt by night.

He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down. You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. When the sun rises, they gather together And lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work And to his labor until the evening. O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all… (Psalm 104.19 – 24, NKJV)

We work, but God gives the results:

These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. (Psalm 104.27, NKJV)

“These all wait for you.” Including people. We wait. We can’t sell our house, for example, until God brings a buyer.

No matter what, these verses I memorized many decades ago apply:

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. (Psalm 104.33, 34, KJV)

I need to post a comment about Oklahoma’s illegal “hideout tactic” against Auburn last Saturday. Full disclosure: my doctorate is from Auburn. Oklahoma’s head coach is Brent Venables, former Marine and former defensive coordinator for my alma mater, Clemson. I liked Venables…until now.

Here’s what happened as reported by ESPN and officially documented by the SEC. The story starts this way:

An SEC officiating crew failed to identify a “hideout tactic” on Oklahoma’s second-quarter touchdown in the 11th-ranked Sooners’ Week 4 win over No. 22 Auburn, the conference announced late Saturday night.

Oklahoma led 10-3 after quarterback John Mateer connected with Isaiah Sategna for a 24-yard touchdown with 10:45 remaining in the first half Saturday. Before the snap, Sategna had walked toward the Sooners’ sideline appearing to feign a substitution, but he remained on the field before streaking down the sideline through the Tigers’ secondary undetected for the scoring reception.

The Sooners went on to beat the Tigers 24-17 after Mateer’s go-ahead rushing touchdown with 4:54 left in the game.

Hours later, the SEC said in a statement that its officiating crew “did not properly interpret the action as a hideout tactic” and said the Sooners should have been assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that would have wiped out Sategna’s touchdown.

A guy pretends to go off the field for a substitution but stops just short of the sideline. The defense doesn’t pay him any attention since he’s not supposed to be on the field. He catches the touchdown pass wide open.

Very clever…and explicitly illegal. Read the whole article. What bothers me is that this play had to be conceived at the highest levels of the coaching staff: the head coach and the offensive coordinator, and it had to be taught to the entire offense.

I thought sports was a vehicle for teaching important life lessons. What’s the life lesson here? “Men, we’re going to run a play that’s illegal, but I don’t think the officials will see it. Here’s how it goes…” The lesson is clear: life is not about right and wrong, it’s about what you can get away it. Most disappointing.

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. – Jesus, Mark 7.21 – 23, emphasis mine

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. (2 Timothy 2.5, ESV)

We come to one of those “favorite” psalms, and I don’t want us to miss it. If you’re following our reading program, today you read Psalm 103. Here are some highlights:

A Psalm of David

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (Psalm 103.introduction, verse 1)

I had a pastor who liked to quote “all that is within me…” as he blessed the food at a church supper. After all, by the time he got around to praying, a lot of folks had already begun to eat!

The psalmist continues:

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

• Who forgives all your iniquities,
• Who heals all your diseases,
• Who redeems your life from destruction,
• Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
• Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103.2- 5, list bulleted for clarity)

That’s a good list! And David expands on “forgives all your iniquities:”

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103.10 -1 4, NKJV)

I love it. Not only is the LORD merciful, he “pities his children.” Why? “He remembers that we are dust.”

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2.7, NKJV)

We are dust, but the LORD rules over all. Therefore, we’re back to “Bless the LORD…”

The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.

• Bless the LORD, you His angels,
  • Who excel in strength,
  • who do His word,
  • Heeding the voice of His word.
• Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
  • You ministers of His,
  • who do His pleasure.
• Bless the LORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul! (Psalm 103.19 – 22, NKJV)

In May 2024, I wrote a blog about David’s Mighty Men. It ends this way, quoting from a description of a book by Mark Batterson:

Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture, a blessed and audacious act that left no regrets: “Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it” (2 Samuel 23:20 -21). Unleash the lion chaser within!

I wouldn’t have thought of that blog, but a couple of weeks ago, blog reader Rene, whom I don’t know, posted this:

THANK YOU. Inspired am I, through a difficult season.

I don’t know what Rene is going through right now, but when I reviewed the blog, my first thought was a reflection on “…chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path.” Buying a new house the way we did with a bridge loan collateralized by the old house was a risk, but we took it. Now we’re in the middle of a pit with a live lion!

“In the middle of a pit with a live lion” is a perspective we miss. “He killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day” cuts right to the end. But there was a time when the lion was alive and there was a struggle. Therefore, I take comfort in…

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15.57, ESV)

Yesterday I had shoulder surgery. Another risk. And here I am in a pit with a live lion! But by the grace of God, we’ll kill that lion, too. I’m home now as of 2:00p today, Tuesday, September 23. I’m told the procedure went well. Recovery, so far, has been smooth. Six weeks of physical therapy starts Friday.

Thanks for the reminder, Rene! May you come through your “difficult season” with flying colors.

Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me…” (Daniel 6.18 – 22, ESV)

His heart is secure; he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. (Psalm 112.8, NIV84)

I hate to bother you all with yet another surgery…two this year! We’re fixing my left shoulder today, Monday, September 22, 7:30 a.m.

I am very pleased that the steroid shot I got in mid-June has allowed me near-normal use of my left arm after a period of being incapacitated. But there are things I can’t do, and other things, that if I do them, I wince and say, “Oops. I shouldn’t have done that.” So it’s time. It’s a “Reverse total shoulder replacement,” where they put the ball on the scapula and the socket on the humerus.

Please pray for my surgeon, Dr. Ron Hollis, who has given me two new knees (2018 and 2020) and repaired my right shoulder (also, 2018). Ron expects a smooth and relatively fast recovery. May it be so. I’ll keep you posted. I’m staying in the hospital (Memorial North in Colorado Springs) overnight and plan to come home Tuesday.

Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. (Psalm 6.2, ESV)

I memorized Psalm 100 as a child. Maybe everyone in my Sunday School class did – I don’t remember. We memorized Psalm 23 and then Psalm 100. I don’t know why, but it’s short, has an uplifting message, and I can still quote it. I share it below from New King James (we memorized in the old King James, of course). I’ve changed NKJV’s “shout” in verse 1 to KJV’s “noise.” We didn’t memorize the introduction “A Psalm of Thanksgiving,” but it’s part of the text.

Here it is with a few comments – unnecessary because it speaks for itself just fine.

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

• Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands! [Always a great comfort to those who don’t sing very well. “Noise” will do!]
• Serve the LORD with gladness;
• Come before His presence with singing. [Maybe that’s why nearly all church services include singing.]
• Know that the LORD, He is God;
• It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; [Duh. Creation was a given when we grew up.]
• We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. [“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” – Jesus, John 10.27]
• Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. [Often seen on signs as one enters a large church’s gym!]
• Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
• For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100.introduction, 1 – 5, NKJV)

Amen.

A friend of ours is really struggling with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) lately. I’m intimately familiar with RA since my mother suffered with it the last years of her life (I don’t remember how many). Lots of medication. Lots of surgeries. Nothing worked. What concerns me is that as an active person, our friend is unable to do all the things she’s used to doing and…she’s angry about it.

My immediate thought was, “I’m pretty sure that being angry exacerbates arthritis.” To check I Googled a paraphrase of something the famous black pitcher Satchel Paige said about fried foods: “Anger riles up the blood.” Here’s what Google’s AI reported:

The phrase “anger riles up the blood” is a figure of speech that has a basis in real physiological responses to anger.

While anger doesn’t literally boil your blood, it triggers the body’s “fight or flight” response, leading to a cascade of effects that impact the cardiovascular system. 

Here is a breakdown of the physical effects:

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure: The adrenal glands release stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, causing the heart to beat faster and blood pressure to rise.
• Redirected blood flow: Blood is shunted away from the gut and toward the muscles, preparing the body for physical exertion. This can create a flushed sensation in the face and ears, contributing to the “hot-headed” feeling associated with anger.
• Blood vessel impairment: A brief episode of anger can cause blood vessels to constrict and impair their ability to dilate for up to 40 minutes. This phenomenon is not seen with other negative emotions like sadness or anxiety. Over time, repeated insults to the blood vessels from chronic anger can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Inflammation: Research has found that higher levels of anger are associated with higher levels of inflammation in the body, which is a risk factor for chronic illnesses.
• Increased heart attack risk: Intense anger outbursts can trigger heart attacks in the hours following an incident. This is particularly risky for individuals who already have cardiovascular issues. 

For these reasons, chronic, uncontrolled anger can have serious long-term consequences for your health. – Google’s AI response, emphasis mine

There it is “Inflammation.” My friend would do well not to be angry. RA management techniques include stress management to reduce inflammation. Look it up.

As usual, the Bible is ahead:

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger… (Ephesians 4.17, ESV)

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. (Proverbs 16.32, ESV)

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry? (Jonah 4.1 – 4, ESV)

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1.19, 20, ESV)

I often get words of wisdom from Seth Godin’s daily marketing blogs. A persistent theme of his is that we shouldn’t wait to be “chosen.” He wrote on September 6, 2025:

If you’re waiting to get picked by a famous college or a big company or the music industry, you might end up waiting a very long time. Of course, that’s what schooling taught you to do. The lessons run deep.

What’s the solution? Seth continues:

You can build your own system.

…There are plenty of examples of committed students who took a gap year (or two or six) and built something that mattered.

Non-profit leaders who refuse to succumb to galas or mass appeal can build projects of significance with a surprisingly small base of supporters.

…You’re probably not going to end up with a million followers by adhering to the rules of the algorithm. But that’s okay, because you don’t need a million followers to make a difference. – Seth Godin, September 6, 2025

Jesus built “projects of significance with a surprisingly small base of supporters.” He invested heavily in 12, and there were 120 in the Upper Room in Acts 1. And they started a Spirit-empowered movement that changed the world.

Indeed, “…you don’t need a million followers to make a difference.”

You don’t need to be a pastor, on church staff, or a missionary with a Christian organization, either. You do need to engage where you are. In Seth’s words, “Build your own system.”

A young man called me once and said he wanted to be a Navigator. The conversation went like this:

• Caller: “How can I become Navigator staff?”
• Bob: “What ministry are you doing now? Whom are you investing in?”
• Caller: “I’m not doing any ministry now.”
• Bob: “If you’re not doing anything now, why would that change if you became a Navigator?”

As always, we do what we can, where we are, with what we have.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15.16, ESV)