September 15, 2025

Introduction

As we continue to grieve over the loss of our dear brother Charlie Kirk, it’s important that we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and hold on to hope. Hebrews 6:19 tells us, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” While on earth, Jesus was also acquainted with grief and knows how to heal us. Listen to today’s post and allow Him to begin healing your heart and your soul. Our title is:

We Must Play Hope’s Song 

People sometimes refer to their difficult times as “winter seasons.” There is a powerful picture associated with this in Ezekiel 47. The prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of the River of Life flowing from God’s presence. The river produced life and healing everywhere it went. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “river” in the passage is nachal, and it means “a stream, especially a winter torrent”(1) (italics mine). This meaning doesn’t refer to when it flows, but what causes the river. Some streams and rivers dry up during certain parts of the year. They are refilled, however, when there is rain or, as in this case, the spring thaw melts the winter snow and ice on the mountains. Tiny rivulets develop, coming together to form larger flows, then streams, and eventually, becoming nachalim (rivers).(2) Though Ezekiel’s “winter river” began as a trickle in verse 1, it eventually became a mighty, unfordable river by verse 5.

Indeed, God’s healing river often begins as a trickle. We can be confident, however, that it will deepen; God will use the snow and ice of our winter season to bring to us a deep flow of His healing power. Our season will change. 

• For those who are confused and disillusioned…

• For the heart grieving from pain and loss…

• For those who have been rejected by the world, who are heartsick with hope deferred…

  
  

…your season will change!

The warmth of spring will do its work, and summer is coming. Thank God winter seasons don’t last forever. The river of healing will flow to us, and we will drink of its healing power. 

As the following story states, there is a song of hope inside you, and you must sing.

One night, a discouraged man in London was on his way to drown himself. At that moment, his life did not seem worth living. As he walked along the street, he stopped and looked at a painting in a shop window. It was George Frederic Watt’s Hope - a woman, blindfolded, sitting on top of the world, holding a harp with but one string. Yet still hoping and believing the instrument will make music, she is ready to play it. The man, as he stood looking at that painting, said to himself: “Well, I have one string - I have a little boy at home.” So he returned home to his son.(3)

When you feel there is nothing left, look again. The prophet Habakkuk said the flock might be dead and gone, there may be no fruit in the orchard, and the hillsides might be bare. But still, “I will exult in the Lord,” he said. “I will rejoice in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). There was music possible yet!

And there is still music in our nation. We must play hope’s song, even in the dark night of the soul. Job, in his hellish suffering, said the Lord “gives songs in the night” (Job 35:10). David, during his time of exile, said, “His song will be with me in the night” (Psalm 42:8). Paul and Silas, beaten, bleeding and in chains, “about midnight…were praying and singing hymns of praise to God” (Acts 16:25). There is hope in the night, and there is music in our broken nation. Do not give up!

A passage in the Song of Solomon speaks of the end of a winter season:

“My beloved responded and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. ‘For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along!’” (2:10-13)

Working Things Together for Good

Psalm 51 was written by a man experiencing hope deferred. King David had lost his first love connection with God, which resulted in sin and a winter season. The following prayer he offered was answered: 

“God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life…Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!” (vv. 10, 12, MSG)

God wants to do that for America and for you. A fresh start…a Genesis week…out of exile…a fresh wind - that’s what He wants for us.

A well-known verse in Romans speaks of God taking our pain, hurts, and destruction and bringing good from them. It is actually one of the most famous verses in the entire Bible: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (8:28). This verse packs an even greater power than most people realize.

The phrase “work together” is from the Greek word sunergeo, from which we get the English words synergy and synergism. Synergism is “the working together of two or more to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects.”(4) In choosing this word, God is promising He will take all of the bad, all of the pain, and every attempt of the enemy to destroy our faith - “all things” - and then put Himself in the mix, infusing the evils with His miraculous power. I will synergize with them, He says, and the good in Me will overpower the bad in them. Amazing! Disappointment, plus pain and loss, are transformed into something good when God’s river of healing enters. Believing in this truth is part of restoring hope.

When complimented on her homemade biscuits by Dr. Harry Ironside, the cook responded, “Just consider what goes into the making of these biscuits. By itself, the flour doesn’t taste good; neither does the baking powder, nor the shortening, nor any other ingredient. However, when I mix them all together and put them in the oven, they’re transformed. They come out just right.” Much of life can taste bad. But God is able to combine these “ingredients” of our life in such a way that when He is finished, the result is good.(5)

God is going to send His nachal river to America. It is rising, even now. He will heal, save, and restore. Keep your appeals strong - they are saving our land.

Pray with me:

Father, grief does not contradict or negate faith. We pray for Your comfort to those experiencing unspeakable pain. We pray for Charlie Kirk’s wife Erika, their sweet children, and extended family. Hold them near to your heart and comfort them. And we pray for so many others across our nation who loved and respected Charlie and his message. And though we grieve for our broken nation, we believe You are coming to release Your river of healing. Yes, we have been in an icy winter. Without a doubt, there is no hope for us but You. However, You are merciful and do not abandon people or nations in their times of wandering. Your heart is always to redeem, and our hope is in You. 

Bring the awakening we cry out for. Bring Your warmth and thaw frozen hearts until the winter in America is over and the river of Your healing flows with its full force. 

Strengthen the intercessors. Keep them strong, hope-filled, and full of faith. Remind them that You bring good even out of evil and can even use the plans of evil people to do so, just as You did for Joseph. We draw on You for strength, and we will persevere in our prayers. We ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that the level of God’s healing river is rising, and He will heal our land.

Today’s post was taken from my book Give Him 15, An Appeal to Heaven Devotional, Volume 3.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. s.v. OT:5158, “nachal.”

2. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. s.v. OT:5158, “nachalim.”

3. Oden, Marilyn B. 100 Meditations on Hope. Upper Room Books, 1995. p. 72.

4. “Synergism Definition & Meaning.” Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/synergism. Accessed 16 July 2024. (Accessed October 2, 2013).

5. Adapted from Edward K. Powell, Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching. Baker Book House, 1997. p. 118.

September 12, 2025

The Danger of Identity Politics 

The assassination of Charlie Kirk will galvanize a movement. He is now a far greater threat to those who hated him than he ever was when alive. The love of God and country that Charlie possessed – and so infectiously transmitted – will multiply. That which he played a significant role in birthing, will now grow and mature into adulthood. This cannot be stopped – the seed is in the ground, and will be nurtured by God and by those who take up his baton. 

When the news came to me that he had been shot, I was actually writing this post on the dangers of “identity politics.” It is certainly not wrong to disagree and vigorously debate policy differences; our nation was founded in part on this freedom. The danger comes when one side begins dishonestly labeling the other, calling them nazis, racists, fascists, etc., in attempts to gain or hold power. At this time in our nation, conservatives are routinely accused of hating those who disagree with them, of wanting to hurt others, of believing in tyranny, and even of being comparable to Hitler. Those who lead in this sinister evil know these accusations aren’t true, but with the help of a biased and dishonest media, they continue to spread the lies, propagating fear, hatred, and sadly, violence.

This dividing of our nation for the sake of power - identity politics - is insidiously evil. The subject of race is a prime example. America had made great progress in the last 50 years in ending racism and accomplishing peace – if not harmony – even electing a black president. But many on the Left knew this ending of racial strife created the possibility of them losing a voting block they desperately needed. Therefore, they made conscious attempts to divide us, sowing seeds of distrust and creating illusions of victimization, saying that all white people were racist, power-hungry bigots, wanting to victimize blacks. If you tell someone long enough that they are a victim, chances are they will eventually believe it. The result? Distrust. Fear. Resentment. Anger. Hatred. And eventually, violence: victims will at some point fight back. America is now as racially divided as we were in the 1960s before the civil rights movement.  

The division is so strong that on the day of his death, some members of Congress actually screamed in anger and protest over the suggestion that there be a prayer for Charlie Kirk and his family. It doesn’t get any sicker than that. Identity politics and the hatred it fosters are simply evil. The Bible tells us there are seven things God hates; one of which is this divisive spirit:

“Haughty eyes, A lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who declares lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers” (Proverbs 6:17-19 NASB).

The New International Version of Scripture words the last of these as, “a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” Identity politics. Verse 16 tells us that not only does God hate these things, but they are an “abomination” to Him. The Hebrew word used also means “disgusting” and “abhorrent.” The actions of those who create division and strife among brothers are disgusting to the Lord. What an indictment.

To be clear, diversity itself is not the problem. Having said this, I will always, to the best of my ability, agree with Scripture, as I believe it is infallible. In that regard, I readily admit to being a presuppositionist. However, people are different, our experiences shape our perspectives, and there will always be disagreements.

But unity does not require uniformity of thought; instead, it requires a shared commitment to the open discussion of truth, justice, and the common good without hating each other. Does that mean we blindly accept each other’s differences and call both sides truth, different sides of the same coin? No. But it does mean that we are willing to love others, even when we disagree.

The political psychology of identity politics can lead to normalizing retaliation as a healthy response to perceived wrongs. If every policy debate becomes a tally of whose grievance is greater, we move into a zero-sum game. The winner becomes not the one who crafts the best policy, but the one who can marshal the most resentment. Over time, resentment turns into bitterness and breeds cynicism, disengagement, hatred, and sometimes violence – precisely where we are now. 

The use of identity politics for power also invites manipulation. In a media environment hungry for clicks, soundbites, and moral grandstanding, identity becomes a lever to mobilize votes, funds, and influence. Truth-telling gives way to branding. Honest disagreement is recast as betrayal of a tribe. Americans deserve leaders who appeal to reason, conscience, common sense, and justice, not to engineered fear or simplified caricatures of those with whom they disagree. We do not fear disagreement; we fear a politics that uses difference to weaken the bonds that bind us. 

Pray with me:

Father, America is being shown over and over that we are in desperate need of a true revival. Violence and hatred rage, people mock and cheer the death of a husband and father, and our members of Congress shout in rage at the prospect of praying for them. Identity politics and other evil strategies have divided us as a nation. We are a very, very needy people. 

We pray against the seeds of bitterness, hatred, and false accusations that have been sown in our nation. We ask for conviction to come, causing a true change of heart and a love for one another. We ask that You remove politicians and media personalities who seek to divide us, and give favor to those who can bring us together. Show people that we can disagree without hating and harming. Satan has been successful in convincing some Americans that conservative Christians dislike unbelievers. Nothing could be further from the truth. We love them very much. 

While we ask for justice to be accomplished in Charlie Kirk’s brutal murder, we also ask that his assassination not further divide our nation. Give us a miracle – use it to bring us together. Use it to foster love and peace, and to bring many people to Christ. Help us to process our grief, pain, and anger, without allowing them to become hatred and bitterness. Help us to model the love of Christ at this time and live our faith. All of this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that revival is coming to America, and it will heal our land. 

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

September 11, 2025

Honoring Charlie Kirk

Today’s post is going to be a little different. As you probably know by now, yesterday, conservative leader Charlie Kirk was killed by an assassin’s bullet on the Utah Valley College Campus. Like many of you, I gave much of my afternoon and evening to praying for Charlie Kirk and his family. Then my friend, Gene Bailey, contacted me asking if I could be on a special edition of Flashpoint honoring Charlie’s life. I feel that for today, I want to continue the focus on Charlie, and pray for his family and our nation.

Charlie was an amazing young man, only 31 years of age. Yet, because of the voice God gave him, he spoke to 100,000,000 young people on social media every month. It was probably Charlie’s influence that turned so many of the young generation toward Donald Trump in the recent presidential election. It is no exaggeration to say that because of this, he helped change and shape the course of America’s political history today.

Before it was announced that Charlie did not survive the shooting, I had a sense that this would be the case. I prayed earnestly and fervently for his survival, but as I did, Holy Spirit kept taking me to Acts, chapter 7, which is the account of Stephen’s martyrdom. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how God had spared our president with a supernaturally motivated nod of his head. Why not Charlie? I wondered. 

As I meditated on this passage while praying throughout the afternoon, the Lord began to emphasize how Stephen’s death was used to impact Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul. He was there watching and overseeing Stephen’s martyrdom. Paul was converted to Christ, of course, and became perhaps the most consequential believer in all of history. Through Paul, Stephen lived on. The attempt to silence Stephen’s voice only amplified it. And through the pages of Scripture, it speaks to us yet today.

God never gives satan the last word, and will not do so where Charlie Kirk is concerned. His death only poured gas on a movement, fanning the flames of revival in thousands of young people across our nation. They will pick up the torch and burn with holy fire, as they carry Charlie’s message of revival and reformation. Through this, his voice will not be silenced: his life is now a seed that will multiply.

Last evening, President Trump made some comments honoring Charlie Kirk. Here is a portion of that:

“Hello Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loves so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He’s a model for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone who was so respected by youth. Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven. Our prayers are with his wife, Erika, his young beloved children, and his entire family, whom he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain. This is a dark moment for America.

“Charlie Kirk traveled the nation joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good-faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody ever; to share his love of country and to spread the simple words of common sense on campuses nationwide, championing his ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace…

“Tonight, I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died: the values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, and the patriotic devotion and love of God. 

“Charlie was the best of America, and the monster who attacked him was attacking our whole country. An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come. Today, because of this heinous act, Charlie’s voice has become bigger and grander than ever before, and it’s not even close. May God bless his memory, may God watch over his family, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you.” President Donald J. Trump 

Please continue to pray for Charlie’s wife Erika, his two young children, the rest of his family, as well as Turning Point USA. Though young, his life left an indelible mark on millions of people. His evangelist heart also helped bring thousands into the Kingdom of God. We are grateful for Charlie Kirk’s life.

Pray with me:

Father, we thank You for the life of Charlie Kirk. He has most certainly left his mark on America and has now become a seed that will multiply throughout our nation. We ask that You inspire thousands of young people in America to pick up the torch he carried. May Charlie, like Stephen of old, never stop preaching. Let tens of thousands of young people trumpet his message.

We pray today for his lovely family. They are hurting; the grief will be unbearable at times. You are the Great Comforter, and You can comfort even when the grief is so great. We ask for this peace and comfort for his wife, Erika, and his children. Carry them through this time, wrapping them in Your loving arms.

And we pray for our nation. Comfort the hearts of millions who are hurting and confused. Deliver us, Father, from evil leaders who seek to divide us. You tell us in Proverbs that dividing and sowing discord between brothers is an abomination to You (Proverbs 6:16-19). Heal our nation from the hatred that divides us, and please use this tragedy to do so.

All of this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.