The Kingdom Suffers Violence

Charlie Kirk’s assassination has triggered grief and anger in millions of people. His death has not silenced his voice. His political views and his faith in Christ have been more widely read and discussed since his death than in his life. Charlie’s Turning Point USA has brought in more funds than ever and many people have vowed to take up his causes.

Assassinations usually do the opposite of what their perpetrators hope. Most assassinations magnify the life of the victim, amplify their messages and advance their causes. You don’t silence your opposition, win arguments or gain public favor with murder.

Abraham Lincoln’s assassination did not shift US public opinion to the cause of the Confederacy. We lost a great president, but Lincoln became a martyr and Americans were strengthened in our resolve to resist slavery and stay united as a nation. John Kennedy’s assassination did not advance the procommunist causes of Lee Harvey Oswald. America’s resolve to stand against communism was strengthened. Martin Luther King’s civil rights agenda became law throughout our nation in the years after his assassination. Bobby Kennedy was assassinated by a Palestinian angered by Kennedy’s support for Israel; yet America’s support for Israel was strengthened and has remained steadfast ever since.
Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force” (Mat 11:12 ESV). In this passage, Jesus is teaching about the spiritual and emotional violence we experience as we seek to live in the Kingdom he brought to earth.

The Apostle Paul said, “We go through many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). We struggle to believe and trust a God we cannot see. We struggle to overcome doubts and obey God’s commands. Our struggles with demonic principalities and powers can be violent. It can be a violent struggle to break free from addictions. One addiction we all wrestle with is our love of comfort and the pleasures of life. We want to feel good all the time.
Following Jesus does not make life better and better until we die and go to heaven. We get hurt by others. We have to battle resentment and make ourselves forgive others. God disciplines us and we have to fight our desire to withdraw into self-pity. We are sometimes confused and often frustrated. Yet, the Kingdom of Heaven is a spiritual reality worth fighting for. Our spiritual battles are not comfortable, but always worth the struggle.

I was on a crowded flight to Oakland recently when a woman sat down in the seat next to me. She was friendly and we began to talk. She had a slight accent so I asked her where she was from. She said she was from Iran but preferred to be called Persian. I could understand why.
When I asked her if she believed in Jesus, she told me she was a Muslim and she believed Jesus was one of the prophets. I know Jesus is not just one of the prophets, he is the Son of God. Yet, I resisted the urge to straighten her out about the teachings of Islam. Instead, I asked her why she was going to Oakland. She told me she was on her way to court because her mentally ill brother was suing her entire family who had tried to help him.

I told her our family has struggled with mental health as have many people I have known. She asked me where I was going and I told her I was going to meet with pastors and preach in a church in Novato. She asked me to share with her the message I was going to preach.
My message was on Matthew 12 that Sunday. She knew nothing about Solomon, the temple of God, or Jonah, who Jesus compares himself to in this chapter. When I was finished sharing the sermon, she took my hand and asked me to pray for her. After we prayed, I gave her my contact information. She texted me a couple of days later asking for information about my books on Amazon.

I have been flying all over the world for years and this was the first time someone had ever asked me to share a sermon I was preaching. In the midst of the violence and insanity in our nation, people are hungry for answers. They have problems they can’t solve. They need Jesus but they don’t realize it.

The trials shaking our nation are causing many people to be open to the gospel. If we love them and share the message of Christ with them, we will bring in the harvest we have been praying for. If we fall into the trap of hating our enemies and demonizing people we disagree with, we will have perpetual frustration and battles that won’t advance God’s kingdom or enrich our lives.

We are at a pivotal turning point in America. As messy as it is, we are here for such a time as this. If we draw near to the Lord, he will draw near to us. If we do ministry with faith and courage, we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.