My wife and I, watched in amazement and joy as we sensed  the presence of the Lord this past Sunday, during the five-hour memorial for Charlie Kirk, held in Phoenix’s State Farm Stadium.  Both of us have spent the last couple of weeks, trying to discern what will be the impact of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.  Beyond a doubt Kirk is a martyr because of his example, spirit and courage.  He has captured the hearts of young men.  The movement is growing.

Two passages of Scripture help describe what participants experienced as a spiritual revival as well as a political rallying cry. Seldom in such a large gathering have such opposite expressions so blended together.  Political power and spiritual energy was produced by the testimonies to the life of Charlie Kirk and his belief in Jesus, as Lord and Savior.  It produced a momentum that will begin to capture our nation with the “Good News” that Jesus and His Kingdom is the ultimate answer to the brokenness felt in our nation.

The first passage is from Malachi 4:2-3, “But you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.  And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”  As the TV cameras panned crowd of almost 100,000 in the stadium, you could see the energy as the crowd, freely  expressing their joy in the Lord.  They were like calves that had felt penned up.  They experienced  the healing presence of the Lord.

The second passage is from Isaiah 9:2, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.  For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.”  The fourth verse goes on to say, “For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.  You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.”  Many people once again saw that the darkness can not overcome the “light of Jesus” presence.  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:5).  The yoke of slavery to the voices of darkness was broken and the heavy burden of confusion, despair and uncertainty was lifted from the shoulders of many well meaning folks, who were previous blinded by the enemy of our souls.

This is what I take away from this spiritual revival meeting held in the desert of Arizona, watched by millions around the world.  First, Jesus is Lord.  This was the rock solid belief of Charlie Kirk.  Jesus declared,  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 22:13).  Jesus is “the Arc of History.”  Don’t try to bend it in any other direction, then his Kingdom Presence.

Secondly, the necessity and beauty of Charlie’s wife Erika confessing, “I forgive you” to her husband’s killer.  Her example is the model for our broken and divided nation at this moment in time.  Jesus taught us to pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those trespass against us.”

On a personal note – two challenges for me.  Charlie Kirk has challenged me to be a man of courage. He was not afraid of the opposition.  The second challenge was his on going comment to his wife, “What can I do today for you as my wife?” 

This revival in the desert will stick in the hearts and minds of Americans for long time.  May we all have the courage to choose the way of Jesus, as we face the opposition from those who have been  blinded to the truth of King Jesus.