09/12/2025
“Well done, my good and faithful servant….”
In Acts 12, King Herod begins harassing the church in what could be described as the first
politically motivated persecution against the body of believers. James, the brother of John, is
killed by the sword, and since the Jews were pleased by this, Herod went after Peter and had him
arrested. His plan was to execute Peter as well, but since it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread, Herod locked him up in prison, intending to carry out the ex*****on after the festivities.
….But God had a different plan. He sent an angel to miraculously free Peter from prison, allowing him to escape the death sentence that was to be carried out the next day.
…I’ve heard people ask why a “good God” would allow something like this to happen to Charlie Kirk. I believe the answer is found in Acts 12. Why did God send an angel to free Peter, sparing his life, while James was killed at the hands of a political tyrant? Why didn’t James receive a
similar angelic visit and have his life spared?
First, we should understand that Charlie is better off than all of us. His faith was in Christ alone. For those who put their trust in Jesus, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Upon taking his last breath on that college campus, Charlie was ushered into the presence of Jesus Christ.
…There are times when it’s difficult to understand God’s good and perfect sovereign will. The reality is, God has created each of us for a purpose—His purpose. While we are all created in the image of God, we are not all God’s children until our adoption papers are signed in Jesus’ blood.
A child of God is one who realizes they could never live up to God’s standards, so they place
their trust in the only One who ever lived a perfect life—Jesus Christ. When we confess that He is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, a spiritual birth occurs, and we are adopted into God’s family.
…God had a perfect will for Charlie Kirk and a perfect timetable in which that will would be fulfilled. Charlie’s mission was accomplished. He carried out the work that God had for him, in the exact timing of God’s plan. The same was true for James. However, God still had work for
Peter—his mission was not yet complete.
…While James and Charlie, along with all the martyrs, ran their race, the question is raised: Are we
running ours? Are we seeking God and His will for our lives?
…As for me, I desire to hear the same words that Charlie heard just recently: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
…Today, choose whom you will serve. Like so many who have been rocked to the core by this heinous act, I am more motivated than ever to stand for truth and confront evil.
…Love ways protects.
Run your race….
-Pastor Ryan
