Before we dive into the satire, let’s address the elephant in the sanctuary: the modern worship wars. You know the drill—“Don’t sing Bethel,” “Avoid Elevation,” “Hillsong is off-limits.” We’ve built entire liturgical purity tests around who wrote the song, not whether we mean it. We strain out the gnat of affiliation while swallowing the camel of lifeless worship.
And what do we sing instead? Approved hymns and vetted choruses—performed with all the passion of a DMV clerk. We sing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” while checking our watches. We belt “How Great Thou Art” with hearts that haven’t trembled in years. The problem isn’t the playlist—it’s the posture. We’ve traded consecration for critique, presence for performance, and Spirit-led worship for sanitized approval.
So let’s talk about it. Let’s laugh, weep, and repent. Because the real scandal isn’t the song—it’s the sanctuary that sings without surrender.
We love to sing. We love to sway. We love to raise our hands—so long as the air conditioning is working and the service ends before kickoff. Our hymnals are full of promises, but our pews are full of abiding on the premises.
“Blessed Assurance”—but the only assurance we seem to have is that we’ll be out of the parking lot in time for lunch.
“Standing on the Promises”—while firmly sitting on the premises, scrolling our phones and checking the clock.
“Just As I Am”—we come just as we are, and we leave just as we were. The only thing that changes is the bulletin in our hand.
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”—our mouths move, but our faces look like mugshots. Joy is in the lyrics, not in the room.
“Just a Closer Walk With Thee”—but only on Sunday between 10 and 12. After that, it’s “We’ll meet again next Sunday”
We call our gathering place a sanctuary. But let’s be honest: the word now conjures images of “sanctuary cities”—places where law is suspended, compromise is protected, and accountability is optional. Have our houses of worship become sanctuaries for sin‑steeped Pharisees, or a place to actually commune with the living God? Judging by the evidence, the former seems more fitting.
Isaiah saw it in his day: “These people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus saw it in His: Pharisees straining gnats while swallowing camels. And we see it in ours: churches that sing about fire but never feel the heat.
Here’s the tragedy: we’ve mistaken noise for anointing, ritual for revival, and performance for presence. We’ve built sanctuaries that shelter our apathy instead of altars that demand our repentance.
But here’s the hope: Christ still knocks. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). He’s not asking for another verse of “Just As I Am.” He’s asking for hearts that will actually change.
So let’s stop sprinkling ourselves with hymns and start drowning in holiness. Let’s stop sitting on the premises and start standing on the promises. Because the world doesn’t need another choir—it needs a consecrated people whose lives are the hymn.
It’s time to wake the sleeping saints. Half-hearted devotions won’t survive the fire that’s coming. God isn’t calling for Sunday singers—He’s calling for living sacrifices. The altar is open. The knock is loud. And the time for total consecration is now.
This has been “A View From the Nest.” And that’s the way I see it! What say you?
They mocked David. He was young, untrained, and unarmored. No sword. No shield. Just a sling, five stones, and a covenant confidence. Goliath stood tall, armored in arrogance, spewing threats like thunder. But David didn’t flinch. He didn’t match the enemy’s size—he matched the enemy’s defiance with heaven’s authority. He showed up. And when he did, the battle shifted. Because the victory was never in the weapon—it was in the Word. “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…” (1 Samuel 17:45)
We are living in a time when the strongholds of humanistic ideologies are beginning to crack. Not because we’ve stormed the gates with violence, but because the remnant has taken its place in prayer. The palaces built on pride, rebellion, and echo-chamber talking points are trembling under the weight of truth. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4) The Word of God is not passive—it is active, alive, sharper than any two-edged sword. “Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit…” (Hebrews 4:12)
Daniel knew this. When the decree came down to silence prayer, he didn’t negotiate. He didn’t hide. He opened his windows and prayed anyway. And when the lions roared, he didn’t beg for mercy—he trusted the One who shut their mouths. “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me…” (Daniel 6:22) That’s the kind of resolve the Spirit births in those who refuse to bow to fear. Daniel didn’t escape the den—he endured it. And the only casualties were the ones who tried to silence the devoted. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…” (Isaiah 54:17)
The same fire that was meant to consume the three Hebrew boys became the stage for God’s glory. They didn’t plead for deliverance—they declared their allegiance: “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods…” (Daniel 3:18) That’s peace. That’s power. That’s prophetic defiance. And when they were tossed into the furnace, they didn’t burn. They didn’t panic. They didn’t even smell like smoke. “And the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed…” (Daniel 3:27) The only ones who died were the soldiers who tried to enforce compromise. God doesn’t just rescue—He reverses.
And then there’s Haman. The schemer. The manipulator. The one who built gallows to silence Mordecai and erase a people. But God had a counterplot. “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.” (Esther 7:10) That’s what happens when you mess with covenant people. The gallows of accusation, misinformation, and intimidation will not stand. They will collapse under the weight of divine justice. “The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.” (Psalm 9:16)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We don’t fight with clever comebacks or viral trends. We fight with intercession, with worship, with the sword of the Spirit. “Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) We fight by standing. Armored up. Eyes fixed. Refusing to back down. Because the battle belongs to the Lord. “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:14)
So let the lions roar. Let the furnaces blaze. Let the gallows rise. Let Goliath shout. We will not be moved. We will not be silenced. We will not bow. We are the ones who show up. Not with bravado, but with boldness. Not with performance, but with presence. Not with fear, but with fire. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid…for the Lord your God goes with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) Because the Word of God is our weapon, and the Spirit of God is our strength.
And when the dust settles, it won’t be the devoted who fall—it’ll be the deceivers. The throne rooms of pride will tremble. The palaces of propaganda will collapse. And the remnant will rise—not because we were loud, but because we were loyal. Not because we were strong, but because we were surrendered. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57) The battle belongs to the Lord. We just need to show up.
Modern Witnesses: The Battle Still Belongs to the Lord
We’re not just looking back to ancient heroes—we’re witnessing modern-day warriors rise. Erika Kirk stood before a crowd and forgave the man who murdered her husband. That wasn’t weakness. That was warfare. “Father, forgive them…” wasn’t just spoken on a cross—it was echoed in a courtroom. Her courage didn’t come from emotion—it came from the Comforter. And Charlie Kirk’s boldness in confronting cultural strongholds with biblical clarity reminds us that the sling still works, the lions still roar, and the gallows still fall.
These aren’t just viral moments—they’re prophetic markers. God is raising up voices who won’t bow to fear, won’t bend to compromise, and won’t back down from truth.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony…”(Revelation 12:11)
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
Hebrews 6:19 isn’t poetic fluff—it’s a lifeline. Jesus is not just our Savior; He is our stabilizer, our security blanket, our unshakable anchor when the winds of grief, injustice, and spiritual warfare howl around us.
In a world unraveling at the seams, where chaos seems to accelerate and darkness presses in, we cling to the hope that does not disappoint.
I was deeply moved by Erika Kirk’s public act of forgiveness toward the man who took her husband’s life. That kind of mercy doesn’t come from human strength—it’s the evidence of the Comforter, the power of the Cross, and the reality of resurrection hope. Her courage reminds us that anchored souls don’t drift—they stand. Even in the face of loss, they testify. Even in the face of evil, they forgive. May we be found tethered to Christ in this hour, not tossed by fear or bitterness, but held fast by the One who conquered death and calms every storm.
Consider the disciples in the boat, battered by waves and overwhelmed by fear, while Jesus slept peacefully in the aft. He had already told them, “Let us go over to the other side”—not “Let us go halfway and drown.” His word was a promise, yet their panic revealed a lack of trust. When they woke Him, He rebuked the wind and the waves, but He also rebuked them: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Jesus was present the entire time, resting securely because He knew the outcome. The storm was never stronger than His word.
So how do we react when faced with our own storms? Not everyone will endure a tempest as fierce as Erika Kirk’s, yet in the midst of a storm that would render many hopeless, she had the strength to say, “I forgive.” That is faith anchored in Christ. That is the kind of hope that holds fast when everything else breaks loose. Let us not measure the size of our storm, but the strength of our anchor. Let us trust the One who commands the waves and has already spoken our destination into being.
And what of the storms that come not from tragedy, but from vocal opposition—just for being who God called you to be? Remember Goliath, the uncircumcised Philistine who stood day and night belittling Israel, hurling insults and intimidation. The people of God cowered in fear, silenced by the size of the enemy. Today, many voices ridicule those who stand with truth, who support righteousness, who refuse to bow to cultural idols. Verbal grenades are lobbed to shame and silence—but David did not flinch.
David had faced his bears and lions. He had seen God’s deliverance firsthand. So when he heard Goliath’s taunts, he didn’t tremble—he ran toward the battle. His sling and stone were backed by a history of faithfulness. Likewise, those who have suffered and prevailed are uniquely equipped to help others who struggle. Scripture affirms this:
“[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:4)
Let us not be intimidated by the giants of our day. Let us remember that the same God who anchored us in the storm also empowers us in the battle. The same Spirit who calms the sea also silences the accuser. May we stand like David—with history in our hands and hope in our hearts—ready to declare, “The battle is the Lord’s.”
BE A CHARLIE — SOMEONE NEEDS YOUR VOICE
In a generation silenced by fear and fatigue, we need voices that refuse to bow. Charlie stood for truth, for righteousness, for the Kingdom—and paid a price. But his legacy lives on in those who will not be intimidated, who will not retreat, who will not compromise. Be a Charlie. Speak when others shrink. Stand when others scatter. Someone needs your voice. Someone is waiting for your courage to unlock theirs.
Closing Prayer
Lord, anchor us in Your truth. When storms rage and giants roar, remind us that You are with us in the boat and on the battlefield. Give us the boldness of David, the endurance of Erika, and the conviction of Charlie. May we not be silenced by fear or shame, but rise with holy defiance and Spirit-led compassion. Use our scars to heal others. Use our voice to awaken the sleeping. Use our lives to glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk—conservative activist, founder of Turning Point USA, and outspoken Christian—was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University. His death sent shockwaves through the church, the conservative movement, and the hearts of many young believers who saw in him a bold voice for biblical truth in a culture increasingly hostile to righteousness.
Kirk was not a perfect man, nor did he claim to be. But he was a man who dared to speak truth in love, confronting cultural decay, defending biblical values, and empowering a generation of young Christians to stand firm in their convictions. His assassination, still under investigation, appears to be politically and spiritually charged—a flashpoint in the war between light and darkness.
Like Stephen in Acts 7, Charlie Kirk stood boldly before hostile crowds, proclaiming truth without compromise. And like Stephen, he paid the ultimate price. His death echoes the ancient cry: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60)
II. The Pattern Repeats
Jesus warned us plainly: “You will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). The same spirit that cried “Crucify Him!” in Jerusalem now cries “Cancel him!” in our streets, campuses, and media. The same crowd that chose Barabbas over the sinless Son of God now cheers for chaos, rebellion, and moral inversion.
Charlie Kirk’s death is not just political violence—it is prophetic confirmation. The spirit of antichrist is not coming; it is here. It mocks holiness, persecutes truth-tellers, and seeks to silence the prophetic voice. It is a spirit that hates fathers, despises order, and exalts confusion. And it is increasingly emboldened.
As in the days of Elijah, when Jezebel sought to kill the prophets and silence the voice of God (1 Kings 19:2), so now the spirit of antichrist seeks to intimidate and eliminate those who speak truth. But just as God preserved a remnant then (1 Kings 19:18), He will preserve one now.
III. The Church Must Awaken
This is not a time for passive lament. It is a time for prophetic clarity and spiritual resolve. The children of God must recognize that we are not called to blend in—we are called to stand out. We are not called to appease culture—we are called to confront it.
Let us not forget: the Apostles were beaten, imprisoned, and executed for preaching Christ. Today, believers are mocked, censored, and even killed for doing the same. The persecution may look different, but the root is the same: the world hates the light because it exposes its darkness (John 3:19–20).
Like Daniel in Babylon, we must refuse to bow to cultural idols (Daniel 3:18). Like Esther, we must speak up “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Like Paul, we must be ready to suffer for the sake of the gospel (2 Timothy 2:3).
IV. What Must We Do?
Here are Spirit-led responses for this hour:
Strengthen the Remnant: Equip believers—especially young ones—with biblical literacy, apologetics, and spiritual resilience. Let Charlie’s legacy provoke a generation to speak boldly and live faithfully.
Expose the Spirit of Antichrist: Teach discernment. Name the ideologies that oppose Christ—whether in media, education, or politics. Don’t just rebuke darkness; illuminate it with truth.
Reclaim the Public Square: Like Kirk, we must re-enter the arenas of debate, education, and culture—not with rage, but with reason, conviction, and compassion. The gospel is not fragile. It belongs in every sphere.
Pray and Prophesy: Intercede for our nation. Declare revival. Call the church back to the altar. The blood of the martyrs still speaks—and it calls us to action.
Honor the Martyrs: Let us not sanitize their sacrifice. Charlie Kirk’s death must not be reduced to a political statistic. It is a spiritual wake-up call. Let us honor him by continuing the work he began.
V. Final Exhortation
The world may hate us. The spirit of antichrist may rage. But we are not without hope. We are not without power. And we are not without assignment.
“Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” (1 John 3:13) “But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Let the watchmen cry aloud. Let the church arise. Let the truth be spoken—no matter the cost.
As Isaiah declared, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)
Let us be that light. Let us be that voice. Let us be that remnant—faithful until the end.
VI. Honor Roll of Martyrdom
The blood of the martyrs still speaks.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Stephen — stoned for proclaiming Christ, saw heaven open as he forgave his killers.
The Apostles — crucified, beheaded, exiled; each sealed their testimony with blood.
The Prophets — mocked, hunted, silenced for calling Israel back to covenant.
Joan of Arc — burned at the stake, condemned by religious and political powers alike.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer — executed for resisting Nazi tyranny and defending gospel truth.
Martin Luther King Jr. — assassinated for preaching justice, reconciliation, and nonviolence.
Charlie Kirk — slain for speaking truth in love, confronting cultural rebellion with conviction.
There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens
I really enjoy the smell of burning leaves wafting through the air at the arrival of fall. Living in Western Pennsylvania I am blessed with a change of seasons 4 times a year. We experience the bleakness of winter with the countryside blanketed in white. This eventually gives way to the beauty of spring and a countryside bedazzled with brilliant colors. Summertime rolls in and backyards are alive with outdoor activity. Barbecues are ablaze. Swimming pools overflow with those attempting to escape hot and humid evenings. We return full circle back to fall and the brilliant colors of the changing leaves.
Nature teaches us that there is a season and a time for everything. Scripture amplifies this theme of nature. It declares that indeed there is a time for everything. There is also a season for every activity under heaven.
It is natural for nature to revolve in cycles. Earth’s orbit revolves in a cycle, which leads to our seasons. With just casual observation, we can see the cycles of life. There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to plant and a time to reap what was planted. There is a time to gather and a time to scatter. There is a time to build up and a time to tear down. All this reflects the cycle of life. A modern-day idiom goes something like this, there’s nothing as constant as change. In fact, the only thing we can really count on is that things will change. Without change there’s no room for anything new. Fall serves a vital purpose. Old leaves fall to make way for new leaves that will appear in the spring. It is the order of life for the old to make way for the new.
Although things change some things remain constant, gravity for example and the laws of nature and of nature’s God. In order to support the changes of life, some things must remain constant and without change. If there were not gravity, then life as we know it would not exist. If the earth did not rotate on its axis, there would be no night and day. If the earth stopped revolving around the sun, the seasons would come to an end.
It is with that thought in mind that I address a rather disturbing trend in our society. Things that should not change are being altered quickly. At the same time, things that ought to change are being held as sacred. The latter being etched in stone, while that which was actually etched in stone is being done away with.
Earthly governments, principalities, and powers from the beginning until now are uniformly represented in the Scriptures as wild beasts. They are full of destructive savageness and offensive uncleanness. It is but folly and fanaticism for men to talk of Christian states and governments in this world. Christians and good men may be involved in their administration. Christian ideas may sometimes temper their enactments. However, earthly states and governments themselves are not Christian, and they cannot be. They are all the products of devastated nature’s wilds, and full of ungodliness. Fix it as we may, such is the result. The best-planned institutions and the wisest laws are ever disappointing their framers. The same can be said of the United States government.
It is not surprising then to find the Sovereign Law of the Land. Our Constitution is being ravaged. It is rewritten with hellacious fervor. God Himself delivered the very law on etched stone from Sinai’s thunder-shaken heights. However, this law could not restrain mankind from its sinful and destructive nature.
Many revolutions have been wrought. Men have labored, sacrificed, bled, and died to achieve freedom and just governance. They believed they would secure the precious boon for which the race has sighed and cried for ages. However, it was only a rearrangement of the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. It was an exercise in futility.
In our day, people wish for a grand ‘United Nations.’ They seek something shaped to populism and compacted by common laws and special interests. ‘Enlightened’ ideas are expected to rule so that all the world will become one. However, the result will be the embodiment of hell itself, full of blasphemy and lies. Good shall be called evil and that which is evil will be exalted as good.
Revolutions, creeds, and transformation, progressivism, and liberal ideologies seek to overturn old creeds and revise the Decalogue. They introduce vain philosophies of men. These attempts rule out a personal God and exalt self in His place. All man’s foolhardy ideas to reconstruct society may promise much and tug at the heart. However, they are destined to fail in the end.
Indeed, all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand]. But wicked men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves.2 Timothy 3:12-13 (AMP)
What should we do as Christians living in a fallen world? We are ruled by fallen men whose hearts and minds are being deceived. They are growing worse and worse. Should we simply throw our hands up in defeat? One could come to that conclusion when we review the events that took place in our country just last week. A couple of lone Senators stood-up to declare that the road we are traveling is ruinous. They insisted we need to go in an entirely new direction. They found themselves shouted down and demeaned for having the audacity to stand-up for what they believed to be right. These courageous men and women took a stand. They confronted the evil ideologies of those transforming our society. The few stood tall calling for a change. They wanted to change course. They wished to try something different. They were only told that what exists is ‘settled law.’ It is written in stone and not to be undone by them or anyone else. There was nothing they could do. So, we might as well surrender and sit down and shut up.
Most thinking people could easily argue that when a product proves defective, you repair, replace, or junk the product. Then you try something else. Only in government is it ever wrong to ask for a change. It is seen as wrong to argue for a better outcome. Daring to seek to right a wrong is also discouraged. Our Constitution allows ‘we the people’ to ‘Petition the Government for a Redress of Grievances.’ However, in all actuality, we are forbidden to do so.
Things need to change in D.C. There is no doubt about it, but things also need to change in the heartland of America. We need to regain our ‘righteous’ footing and restore the sure foundations upon which we wish to build our society. We cannot continue to allow the wholesale slaughter of innocent children, and the destruction or should I say the reconstruction of the family unit to go unchallenged. This must not be acceptable by those who call themselves Christian. I am afraid that there are too many “Christian” in name only. They are siding with the destruction of our society. They enable those in power to continue their onslaught.
We do need to choose sides. We can stand with the Lord and his laws. Alternatively, we can support those who are actively erasing any mention of God from our society. In the end there will only be two camps. Those who are standing with the Lord when he returns and those who will be fighting against the Lord. Which side do you suppose comes out victorious?
The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense [persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin] and all who do iniquity and act wickedly and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth. Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears [to hear] be listening and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing. Matthew 13:41-43 (AMP)
Yes, indeed things will change. A law will be established. That which was sent down from heaven will once again become the chief cornerstone. It is the rock that the builders of our current societal structure have rejected. God’s law is the only one that is ‘settled’.
“All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.”1 Peter 1:24-25 (NKJV)
This has been a View From the Nest. And that is the way I see it. What say you?
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