What If Charlie Kirk's Death Sparked Revival Instead Of Revenge?

The shocking death of Charlie Kirk has become a prophetic moment for America, revealing the deep spiritual sickness festering beneath our national divide. But what if this tragedy could become the catalyst for something greater than another round of political warfare?

In this urgent and timely episode, I explore how our responses to this event—from celebration to politicization to calls for retaliation—expose how far we've strayed from the way of Jesus. The political left and right have become two sides of the same broken coin, both intoxicated with fear, outrage, and idolatry. Most disturbingly, many church leaders have exchanged the language of the kingdom for the language of war, forgetting that Jesus never called us to take up the sword but to carry our cross.

The kingdom of God offers a third option entirely—not left, not right, not compromise, but the radical, subversive way of Jesus. This path requires courage without bloodlust, boldness without hatred, and truth without vengeance. Throughout history, we've seen that when a prophetic voice is silenced—from John the Baptist to Martin Luther King Jr.—it doesn't end the movement but amplifies it, especially when that movement is built on nonviolence and love rather than retaliation.

As messengers, entrepreneurs, and builders, we face a crucial choice: Will we use our influence to echo the cultural chaos or to bring kingdom clarity? Will we be burners who spread fear and division, or builders who create solutions that heal? Your business can be a weapon of peace, your voice an instrument of healing, your wisdom a seed of revival.

The Jesus revolution America desperately needs won't start in Washington—it starts with you and me choosing to embody a different way. Share this message with someone who needs to hear that there's hope beyond the broken extremes of our political landscape. Together, let's build something that outlasts the outrage.

Transcript

Responding to Charlie Kirk's Death

Speaker 1 0:00

If your first response to Charlie Kirk's death was to celebrate, you've lost your humanity. If your first response was to politicize it, you've lost your integrity. And if your first response was to cry for revenge and war, you've lost the way of Jesus. For revenge and war, you've lost the way of Jesus.

Speaker 2 0:25

Welcome to the Mark Castro Program, where we challenge the old systems, tear down chaos and build with kingdom clarity. Here we equip a generation of wise messengers like you to turn God-given wisdom into lasting impact and real wealth. Let's dive in impact and real wealth.

The Broken Coin: Left and Right

Speaker 1 0:45

Let's dive in, and I know these are strong words, but they need to be said, because when the news broke, I wasn't just shocked by the tragedy itself. I was sickened by the flood of reactions that begin to pour in, whether it was the extreme radical left celebrating it, or if it was the extreme right or some people on the right politicizing it, rather than focusing on the fact that a man in our country was ended because of his opinions, his theology, his ideas. Secondly, because a husband and a father was lost. Guys, we saw a man be completely dehumanized last week. Some were dancing on his grave, treating the death of a human being like a victory parade, and others were quick to turn it into a political weapon, twisting his murder into fuels for the other side's narrative, twisting his murder into fuels for the other side's narrative. And then, most disturbing of all, I saw believers, church leaders, christians using the language of war, vowing retaliation, promising blood for blood. Guys, that sickness, I felt, wasn't just the grief of a loss of life as devastating as seeing that was. It was the grief for what we've become as a people.

Speaker 1 2:36

And I want to be clear up front. This episode is not about defending Charlie Kirk's politics. It's not about dissecting his life or his platform. It's not about trying to turn him into a saint or painting him, especially painting him as a villain. This is about something far bigger. This is about what his death has revealed about us, about our nation, about our church, about our culture, because the truth is, the political left and the political right are two sides of the same broken coin. Both are intoxicated with fear, violence and idolatry, and if we, as the people of God, don't wake up, we're going to keep cashing that coin at the cost of our own souls.

Speaker 1 3:29

I want you to think about it with me. Look at history. Every empire, every society that idolized politics as the ultimate savior eventually collapsed under its own weight. Rome didn't fall in a day. It decayed literally from the inside out, because of corruption, violence and idolatry. Guys, and here we are in 2025, thinking somehow we're immune.

Speaker 1 4:00

See, when the left feels threatened, they riot, they burn, they smash, they destroy in the name of justice. Cities are turned upside down, businesses are ruined, lives shattered All in the name of what Progress? And then, when the right feels threatened, we talk of civil war, we stockpile weapons, we circulate conspiracy theories and we baptize our anger in religious language, as if the kingdom of God were waiting for them to pick up a rifle. And what's wild is that both sides believe they're the righteous ones, both see themselves as defenders of truth, protectors of morality, saviors of democracy or saviors of the faith. But when you strip away the slogans, the chants, the hashtags and the Bible verses misquoted for political ends, what you see is two sides of the same sickness. Both thrive on outrage, both justify dehumanization, both feed on fear. It's a mirror. One extreme reflects the other. The left's violence gives the right an excuse for more or for retaliation. The right's rage gives the left a reason for more. It's an endless cycle of reaction, vengeance and escalation. And caught in the middle is the church supposed to be the light of the world, and many are trying to dim it through compromise.

The Third Option: Jesus' Way

Speaker 1 5:37

Now I do want to say this I know there are many people in our nation that are peacefully protesting, doing prayer, vigils, all of that. I think that's an appropriate response and I'm going to talk about that in a minute. But I'm going to talk about those on political extremes. Now listen, let me be real with you, okay. Some of the loudest war drums I hear beating right now aren't coming from secular politicians. They're coming from pulpits. They're coming from Christians who claim the name of Jesus while calling us to war. And I know they're talking about I hope that they're talking about demonic principalities and the spirits of darkness and wickedness, but somehow I believe, just looking over what I would term now religious nationalism, people are involved, guys. We have pastors preaching politics in the pulpit louder than they're preaching the gospel. We have believers quoting Old Testament vengeance while ignoring Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. We have Christians posting memes about violence and war, as if somehow the cross was a suggestion and not the standard. And listen, I'm not saying don't care about your nation. I'm not saying disengage from politics altogether. What I'm saying is this when your allegiance to political ideology causes you to sound more like Rome than like Jesus, you've lost your way. When we've become far more American than we have Christian, we're in trouble. Guys.

Speaker 1 7:21

An idolatry, whether it wears a red hat or it waves a rainbow flag, it's still idolatry. So what do we do? Do we just pick the lesser of two evils? Do we hold our noses and choose whichever side feels closer to our values? Friend, the answer is no. The kingdom of God is not a swing vote between the left and the right. There's a third option, guys. It's a third option entirely, and the third option should be the first option for believers, because it's a whole new way.

Speaker 1 8:01

See, jesus in his day didn't side with the zealots who wanted to overthrow Rome with violence, and he didn't side with the Sadducees who cozied up to political power. He didn't side with the Pharisees who idolized their moral superiority. He confronted all of them and then he announced a kingdom, not of this world, a kingdom that didn't need Caesar's sword or Herod's throne, a kingdom that turned the other cheek, went the extra mile, carried their cross. And I believe with all of my heart that this moment demands the same response. Not another culture war, not another round of vengeance. A Jesus revolution, because Charlie Kirk's death tragic, shocking public. But, friend, there is no doubt, and I have to be honest with you, it was a major prophetic moment for our nation. Guys, just like John the Baptist beheading, think about it John's death didn't spark a rebellion. It set the stage for Jesus to step into the spotlight and change everything. And I believe what comes after this isn't supposed to be a retaliation or vengeance, a call to war. It's supposed to be a movement of love, and for those of you that really followed what Charlie Kirk did with his life, he would say the same thing. Now I'm going to take a break here for a second.

War Language vs. Kingdom Language

Speaker 1 9:37

This episode of the Mark Castro Program is sponsored by Wise Builders Creator Academy. Now let me tell you why that matters, because it's not enough to just diagnose the sickness in culture. We need a new generation of voices, messengers, entrepreneurs, builders who know how to step into their assignment and release solutions. And that's what the Creator Academy is all about. Inside. I'm going to help you package your God-given wisdom into a digital product, business, something that doesn't just create income but creates impact. Why? Because the world doesn't need more echo chambers, it doesn't need more shallow outrage. It needs wise voices, wisdom-led voices who can bring clarity, healing and transformation. Guys, if that's you, you've lived through some things. You've overcome things. You carry solutions that people are desperate for. Guys, the Wise Builders Creator Academy is where I teach you how to take that wisdom, build it into something scalable and step into influence without burning out or selling out. So if you're ready to stop being silent and start building, I want you to go now to markcastoco backslash academy. That's markcastoco backslash academy Apply today. Let's raise up a generation of wise builders who lead the revolution this world actually needs Now.

Speaker 1 11:03

Guys, obviously I had to take a whole week off of social media last week for several reasons. We went back to our home in Covington and had to get some things in order for that, and so a little time off there. But while I was there is when I heard the news and I've just not been able to engage with social media and lots of tears, not because this is the first time we've seen murder or killing or whatever, but there was something significant and weighty about it that is obvious by way of the internet. I mean like videos everywhere, people talking about it everywhere. I mean like videos everywhere, people talking about it everywhere. I mean like this was a major event and I've cried my tears, I've processed for days and now I'm ready to talk about it.

Speaker 1 12:00

So when John the Baptist was murdered, it was more than just a political execution. It was a prophetic moment. See, john wasn't killed because he was violent. He wasn't assassinated because he was rallying troops or calling for war. He was killed because his voice disrupted the comfort of the powerful. He was silenced because he told the truth in a world that couldn't stomach it. And what's wild is this John's death didn't end the movement of God. It prepared the way for it. The crowds who once followed John now had to look somewhere else, and Jesus stepped into the fullness of his public ministry, and what seemed like a devastating loss became the doorway to the greatest revelation the world has ever known.

Speaker 1 12:52

Now I'm not saying listen, I'm not saying that Charlie Kirk is John the Baptist, don't twist my words. I'm saying the moment we're living through has prophetic parallels. A loud public figure, silent, suddenly and violently, in front of a watching world. And just like then, how we, the people, respond matters.

Speaker 1 13:21

Guys, there's something about this tragedy that feels heavier than the usual cycle of news. Guys, we've had mass shootings before, we've had political violence before, but this one feels like a crack in the national psyche. Why? Because Charlie Kirk wasn't an obscure name. He was at the center of the conversation about Christian nationalism, about the blending of faith and politics, about the future of conservatism. His life was polarizing, and so is his death. That's why some people immediately celebrated, that's why other people weaponized it and that's why this has to be addressed prophetically by the Spirit of Christ. Because when John the Baptist died, the people had a choice Do we let the grief turn into rage or let grief turn into a hunger for something greater? And I believe God is allowing this moment to force the same choice on us.

Speaker 1 14:27

Guys, throughout scripture and history there's a pattern the silence of a voice often signals the beginning of a greater movement. See, john the Baptist's death cleared the stage for Jesus. Stephen's martyrdom in Acts scattered the church and the gospel spread like wildfire. Even Jesus's own death looked like defeat, but it birthed resurrection, life and those early disciples and apostles that left that upper room. They literally evangelized the whole known world at that time, in 20 years. Guys, every time darkness thought it had won by silencing a messenger, it only amplified the message. And that's why I believe Charlie Kirk's death, as tragic as it is, may actually be a sign, a prophetic warning and a wake-up call. But here's the key it will only become that if we choose the way of Jesus instead of the way of vengeance.

Speaker 1 15:34

Friend, I want to speak to my American friends. We stand at a crossroads. One road is the road of outrage. It's the path of vengeance, of more polarization, of matching violence with violence. Guys, that road is well-worn Nations have walked it before and it only leads to ruin. The other road is narrow, it's costly, it's counter-cultural. Their road is narrow, it's costly, it's counter-cultural. It's the way of Jesus.

Speaker 1 16:07

It says blessed are the peacemakers. It says love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. It says my kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight. But it's not. This road doesn't make sense. To the flesh it feels weak, but in reality it is the only road that heals.

Speaker 1 16:30

It's the most powerful road and I believe the church in America is being tested right now. Will we choose war language or will we choose kingdom language? Will we be American or will we be Christian? And I'm telling you, those two words are not mutually exclusive. Like guys, american and Christian. If you ride that road all the way down, they are not the same thing, and I know we would love to think that it is, but it's not. Guys, will we mirror Rome or will we mirror Christ? Guys, I saw a pastor and I saw several leaders reposting this that said if you go to a church where the pastor is standing up being a coward and a pacifist, you need to find another church. And I'm thinking to myself how did we get here myself? How did we get here?

Speaker 1 17:33

Jesus and the early church were complete pacifists. They did not believe in war. They were a people of nonviolence, to the point that they yielded themselves to a martyr's death. And somehow we have been so indoctrinated with Americanism that we somehow think that pacifism is weak Guys, do you not remember the scripture that says for the meek shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

Speaker 1 18:11

God, people on social media talking about you know, be weary of these people that are cowards and pacifists. I'm like the pacifists. There's nothing cowardly about pacifists. They're the ones that stand for truth and get killed for it. It's the most bold, courageous thing that you could do. God. How far we have fallen from the original truth of the gospel. To bear your cross, to lay your life down for the sake of your friend, to mirror the life of Jesus. He didn't try to overthrow governments. He submitted himself and surrendered himself to the evil of his generation, which is the death of the cross, and through his yielding he sparked a revolution. Hear me clearly when I say when the church takes on the spirit of the age, it forfeits its authority. If we respond to this tragedy the same way the world responds with violence, with slander, with vengeance then we have nothing different to offer.

Speaker 1 19:11

I know this is heavy, I know this is not what I normally do, but I'm telling you, after what happened last week and what I'm seeing in our nation and I've watched TikTok and social media and I see the response on both sides I realize I can no longer sit back and just build a business. I have to be a voice too. I've been trumpeting the business message. I've been trumpeting this thing about kingdom entrepreneurship and I'm still going to do that and I'm still going to help people do that. And I hope you'll join our community and hope that you'll become a wise voice that we can release in the earth. But I cannot neglect my voice in this hour when we have this kind of issue in the nation, and I don't want to be reactive to what's happening, but I want to be a voice really led by Holy Spirit. And I have not been stirred up in a long time like I am now about my nation.

Speaker 1 20:06

But I've been reading my journals, I've been diving back into things, reading prophetic words and talking to my spiritual father, talking to brothers and I realized now's the time, if there was ever a time. Now is the time. Guys, if we respond the same way that the world does with violence, with slander, with vengeance, then we have nothing different to offer. But if we respond in love, if we continue to respond with prayer, with peacemaking, with humility, then the world will see the kingdom breaking in world will see the kingdom breaking in Friend. Maybe this is the prophetic message in Kirk's death that God is exposing how entangled we've become with the idol of politics, that he's calling us to lay down our weapons, literally and metaphorically, and pick up the cross again, because the revolution America needs is not a political one, it's a Jesus revolution. I'm going to say this to you. I'm going to say this to you and if we get a true Jesus revolution, it will change America, it will affect and impact our politics, it will cause righteousness to prevail in our nation.

Speaker 1 21:22

Guys, I want you to think about Martin Luther King Jr. He was assassinated too, but his death didn't end the civil rights movement. It intensified it. And why? Because it was built on the ethic of nonviolence, because it was rooted in something deeper than politics. Now imagine if the civil rights movement had responded with armed uprisings instead of peaceful marches, the story would have been completely different. The moral authority would have evaporated. Guys, I know, when people started to see what was happening to African Americans back in that time, people that had a conscience, people that were Jesus people, people that had a heart, people that were Jesus people, people that had a heart, when they started seeing what was happening to these non-violent, peaceful protests, that's what started changing their hearts. Guys, there's something powerful about peacemaking, there's something courageous about pacifists, and we're missing the kingdom because we are more discipled as Americans than we are by Jesus, because that's exactly where we are. We can either squander this moment in violence and vengeance or we can seize it. And I want to say this we can squander it by continuing to chase crazy conspiracy theories, or we can seize it as an opportunity to embody the radical love of Jesus.

Speaker 1 22:54

So here's the question what comes after a public death like this? Will it be more riots, more militias, more headlines soaked in outrage? And I'm going to be honest, that mostly happens on the left. I'm going to be honest with you. What I've seen so far, from all, I'm just being honest what I see so far with Charlie Kirk's death and the MAGA movement. I see peaceful protests in the form of prayer vigils. I don't see violence in the streets. All I'm saying is taking an honest take, I only see this coming from one side in the past few years. I only see violence coming from one side. I only see dangerous rhetoric coming from one side.

Speaker 1 23:50

I'm going to say this to the media You're the reason this stuff is happening. I've said this for years Media, I don't care if it's Fox News, cnn, whatever you're the reason for this. Guys, is this going to be the beginning of a civil war or is this going to become the beginning of something new? It's going to become the beginning of something new Because what I hear in my spirit, what comes after John's death, is not Herod's triumph, it's Jesus's ministry. What comes after Kirk's death cannot be more political bloodlust. It must be the rise of a Jesus, people who refuse to bow to the extremes of the left or the right. Guys, this is a prophetic movement and we cannot afford to miss it.

Speaker 1 24:52

So let me be clear when I say the kingdom of God is a third option, I don't mean neutrality, I don't mean compromise, I don't mean we shrug and say both sides have problems and then sit on the sidelines. No, the kingdom is not passive, it's active, but it moves in a way that neither the left or the right clearly understands. Jesus wasn't neutral. He confronted injustice, he flipped tables, he called out hypocrites, but he did it without becoming what he opposed. He refused to fight with the weapons of this world. And that's what makes the third option so difficult, especially for Americans, because it demands courage without compromise, boldness without bloodlust and truth without hatred.

Speaker 1 25:42

And yet right now, much of the church in America has abandoned that standard. We've got preachers shouting war from pulpits, as if Jesus were the commander of a militia instead of the Lamb of God. And can I tell you, quit using the excuse of the book of Revelation and taking metaphors and trying to make Jesus a killer and a soldier. He's the Lamb of God. They introduce him as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but when he manifests in the book of Revelation, he comes as the Lamb slain, as we've got believers using Revelation's imagery of battle while ignoring that the weapon Jesus wields is not God, it's not a sword, it's his word. We've got Christians talking about civil war as if that somehow is revival. Guys, do you see how far we've drifted.

Speaker 1 26:40

The moment the church picks up the spirit of war, we lose the spirit of Christ. Guys, I saw this in Washington DC, a major prayer gathering. I'm telling you this is deep. I understand, but I've watched massive prayer gatherings, whether it was in DC, several places all across America. When you mention the name of Jesus and worshiping Jesus and staying focused on Jesus, the passion is mediocre. But the moment you talk about the enemy, the moment that you talk about a spirit, whether it be the spirit of Jezebel or spirit of Leviathan or any of these crazy spirit things that they've created in their heads, anytime that's brought up, the intensity level goes to 100. Because we in America are addicted to war, guys, the moment that the church picks up the spirit of war, we lose the spirit of Christ.

Speaker 1 27:35

See, when Peter pulled out his sword in the garden, what did Jesus say? Put it away. Because the kingdom of God is not advanced by cutting off ears, it's advanced by healing ears. How can they hear if you cut their ear off? We say that we believe his word, we believe that his voice is powerful, yet we try to take that power into our own hands. When the disciples there was a time that Jesus was being ridiculed and two of the disciples wanted to call fire down on their enemies. What did Jesus say, guys, you don't know what spirit you're of. Jesus is not trying to call fire down on his enemies. Jesus is not trying to slay people with his sword. Jesus is trying to show the love of God to the entire planet.

From Death to Life: A Jesus Revolution

Speaker 1 28:39

Guys, if the early church had responded to persecution with militias and uprisings, christianity would have died in the cradle Instead. You know what they did they loved their enemies, they forgave their persecutors, they bore witness to a different kind of power, and that's exactly what we've been called to do in this hour, guys. I'm telling you we are so far removed from the early church. In the early church, were they scared of the apostle Paul? Sure, were they scared of the man named Saul of Tarsus? Yes, because he persecuted and killed Christians, and yet he became the apostle that wrote two-thirds of the New Testament. Because they understood mercy in a way that we don't. As soon as somebody is killed or as soon as something bad happens, we don't even have a thought in our mind of mercy or grace, or forgiveness. We want vengeance, retaliation, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and then we claim to preach the gospel of the kingdom Matthew 5, 9.

Speaker 1 29:47

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God. Notice it doesn't say blessed are the peacekeepers, those who avoid conflict. It says peacemakers those who enter into the mess and create reconciliation where there was none. Romans 12, 21,. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Guys, you don't overcome darkness by adding more darkness. You overcome it by turning on the light. John 18, 36,. Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight. Guys, if your theology requires picking up the sword, if your theology requires picking up the sword, it's not kingdom theology, it's Caesar's theology. If you go to 2 Corinthians 5, verse 18 through 20, paul calls us ambassadors of reconciliation, not ambassadors of revenge. Guys, all of these scriptures that I'm giving to you, these scriptures aren't suggestions, they're commands, and they're commands we've ignored for far too long.

Speaker 1 31:14

But here's the reality. Choosing the third option is costly. You know what it's going to mean for you. You'll be misunderstood. People will call you weak, naive, even a traitor. You'll lose the comfort of fitting neatly into political categories. You'll have to say no to the addictive rush of outrage, the seductive power of belonging to a tribe, but what you gain is far greater you gain clarity, you gain freedom from manipulation, you gain alignment with the way of Jesus and, ultimately, you gain authority to speak into a culture drowning in hatred. Because here's the truth the world doesn't need a louder right or a louder left. It needs a church that actually looks like Jesus.

Speaker 1 32:12

Guys, please don't waste this cultural moment. Please don't let this death be in vain. Please don't let any time these kind of events happen, whether it's a 9-11 or another news cycle of a George Floyd or what we've just experienced, whatever these cultural things are. These people died and it creates conversations, and most of the time, the church doesn't show up with the Jesus message. So let me paint a picture of what it looks like In day-to-day practical living.

Speaker 1 32:52

When violence erupts, instead of adding fuel, we host spaces of lament and prayer. When lies spread like wildfire and conspiracies are being driven, we commit to radical honesty, even if it costs us influence. When outrage mobs demand retaliation, we choose forgiveness. When the culture is obsessed with power, we model servanthood. Model servanthood. When fear grips society, we create solutions, businesses, digital products, messages, movements that bring hope and healing. Guys, that's not weakness, that's wisdom, and wisdom is always more powerful than war. Matter of fact, when wisdom takes the seat of authority over a nation, it brings peace. So let me say it again the kingdom of God is not left, it's not right, it's not middle ground, it is the way of Jesus radical, subversive and healing. Acts 10 38 says oh, how Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. Guys, if the church would dare to embrace this third option, we wouldn't just survive the polarization of America, we would actually lead it into awakening, because what America needs right now is not another war, it needs another Jesus movement.

Speaker 1 34:32

Guys, this is where I want to pause, because this is important and share something very close to my heart. Guys, the vision, the real vision behind the Mark Castro program isn't just about commentary, it's about building a media hub for kingdom voices. That's why we're building Long Path Studios. You're finally seeing me start to have some of this stuff. We're starting to really put the studio together, guys, long Path is going to become the home where messengers, entrepreneurs, creators can produce content that carries wisdom, not just noise, a place where the next generation of kingdom media rises up, not to stir division, but to bring about this Jesus movement.

Speaker 1 35:14

And here's the deal. I can't do it alone, and that's why I'm inviting you to partner with us, guys. Your support is helping us fund the studio, equip creators and build the infrastructure for a Jesus-centered media revolution. And if you believe in what we're doing and if you're tired of the echo chambers and hungry for something real, guys, go to markcastoco backslash donate. That's markcastoco, backslash donate. Stand with us and let's build Long Pass Studios together. Guys, I'm telling you this is so important. I've got fire in my bones and I'm asking you stand with me. You begin to donate and partner with us. Maybe it's $25 a month, $50 a month, $100 a month. Maybe there's some of you that you can commit to $1,000 a month through your business. Do it. You give me resources, Watch what I do with it. I'm going to create some of the greatest kingdom content on the planet and we're going to help this nation heal.

Speaker 1 36:16

Let me shift gears here, because I don't want this entire conversation to stay in the realm of politics and cultural wars. I want to talk to you, the messenger, the builder, the entrepreneur, the voice you have been entrusted with influence, whether it's 10 followers or 10,000, whether it's a business or a ministry, whether it's a story you carry or a platform you've been given Okay, and the question is this what will you do with it? In moments like this, will you use your voice to echo the noise of the culture, or will you use it to cut through the chaos of wisdom with wisdom? Will you use it to cut through the chaos with wisdom? Because I'm telling you right now, the kingdom of God needs you awake, it needs you bold, it needs you building.

Speaker 1 37:18

Now, here's the temptation for messengers in this moment to copy the culture wars, because outrage is easy traffic. Let's be honest Division sells, outrage gets clicks. Fear spreads faster than wisdom. The algorithm rewards controversy, and so the temptation is strong to use the death of a public figure to grow your platform, to post hot takes, to stir outrage, to play to the tribe that cheers the loudest. But hear me, friend, if your words only inflame division, you're not building the kingdom, you're building Babel, and I just believe that your voice is too important to waste it on echoing fear. Your wisdom is too sacred to reduce it to sound bites that feed anger. You're called to be a peacemaker, not a provocateur, okay, or provocateur.

Speaker 1 38:24

In this cultural moment, there are two types of people burners and builders. Burners tear down, they spread fire, rage, destruction. They thrive on chaos. Builders however they create. They design systems, solutions, communities, businesses that bring life. Which one are you? Because every time you post, every time you speak, every time you release a product, every time you start a business or a community, you're either fanning the flames or you're laying bricks.

Speaker 1 38:57

And I want to call you higher. I want you to be a builder. Build content that heals you to be a builder. Build content that heals. Build businesses that empower. Build digital products that multiply wisdom instead of fear. Build communities that teach people how to live and love and lead well. That's what it means to be a wise builder. So let me give you some practical applications for it, because I really, truly believe that my calling in this hour is to really raise up wise messengers, wise voices, kingdom content creators, people that have wisdom that needs to be packaged, and spread their message all over the world. I want to make this practical for you.

Speaker 1 39:38

If you're an entrepreneur in this season, here's what I would challenge you to do. Number one here's what I would challenge you to do? Number one audit your message. I want you to ask yourself is my content feeding fear or is it offering hope? Is my brand built on outrage or on wisdom? That's number one. Number two design for impact. Don't just chase sales. Design products and services that actually solve real problems for people.

Speaker 1 40:11

Thirdly create with peace the spirit in which you build matters. Build from rest, not hustle. Build from clarity, not confusion. Build proactively, not reactively. Fourthly, please, for the love of Abba, lead with love. Every person you come in contact with, every customer, every client, every follower, is a person made in the image of God. Treat them that way. That's why we have senseless violence, that's why we have stuff like this, because we have lost the reality that people are made in the image of God. And I believe, if you'll commit to those four things, you'll be swimming against the current of outrage culture, and that's exactly what will make your voice, your business, what God's called you to do, powerful Guys, I believe this moment carries a mandate for messengers unlike anything we've seen in our lifetime.

Speaker 1 41:21

The mandate is this Do not bow to the culture wars. Build something better. The world doesn't need more noise, it doesn't need more anger. It doesn't need more empty opinions. It needs wisdom, and wisdom doesn't scream. Wisdom can have passion I'm obviously expressing passion here today but it doesn't need to scream. It doesn't need a bullhorn. Wisdom doesn't burn down, wisdom builds, and that's why I created this Wise Builders Movement, because I believe we're raising up a generation of voices who will not be swayed by the left or the right, but will anchor themselves in the truth of God, the way of Jesus and the wisdom of the Spirit, and I believe you're one of them. I believe you're one of them.

Speaker 1 42:07

Imagine this with me what if the next decade wasn't defined by political war but by kingdom creativity? What if, instead of Christians fighting over elections, we were known for building schools and businesses, platforms and movements that actually changed lives? What if, instead of our loudest voices being the ones who are calling for vengeance, or what if our loudest voices were the ones releasing wisdom, healing, reconciliation into the culture? And, guys, it won't happen by accident. It happens when messengers like you, we decide to rise above the chaos and step fully into our assignment. Because, at the end of the day, friend, this isn't just about building businesses. For me, it's not just about content strategy. It's about joining. It's literally about joining a Jesus revolution and transforming the mind of the West.

Speaker 1 43:11

Guys, it's about a Jesus people that refuse to be swallowed by polarization. Guys, your business should be a weapon of peace, your voice an instrument of healing, your wisdom a seed of revival. And if we steward those gifts well, then out of the ashes of violence will rise something greater than America has ever seen, a movement not of war but of wisdom, not of hate but of love, not of division but of reconciliation. And I believe it begins with us, right here, right now. And, guys, before I move into this last part, I want to invite you into something simple but powerful. Guys, every week I send out emails packed with stories, insights, strategies that help you grow as a kingdom person, an entrepreneur, a messenger. It's not fluff, it's not noise, it's wisdom designed to keep you anchored and moving forward. And, guys, if you've resonated with what you've heard today, don't just let it end here. Join me in that weekly rhythm. It's free, it's consistent and we're going to equip you to keep building in the midst of the noise. So all you have to do is go to markcastoco and go to the bottom. Sign up for it today, guys, I want to walk this journey with you. Together, let's bring all this home.

Your Role in the Revolution

Speaker 1 44:37

What America needs right now is not another round of political war. What America needs is not another rally, guys. How many times have we filled up football stadiums? How many times have we rallied at the mall in DC? It's awesome for media, it might impact a small group of people, but it's not changing things. We don't need another big rally, guys. Instead of investing tens of millions of dollars on events, take tens of millions of dollars and fund ministries like this. Fund your local church, fund programs in your region. Quit giving money to these major events nationally, when we could be funneling millions of dollars into our local churches and seeing massive change there. Guys, think about this One event. I think. I heard a number the other day about an event that was hosted in Las Vegas by a Christian gathering not too long ago. I think the event cost them like $20 million. $20 million for three days. You know what you could do with $20 million for three days. You know what you can do with $20 million in a local church. You can build something that outlives you. Guys, we don't need another rally, another protest, another news cycle that keeps us divided.

Speaker 1 46:08

What America needs is Jesus, but let's be honest. Our strategies have failed us. Politics hasn't saved us. Outrage hasn't united us. Violence hasn't healed us. The only thing powerful enough to shift the heart of a nation is the love of God, revealed through Jesus and his people. Jesus said this how will they know that you're my disciples? Because of your love for one another.

Speaker 1 46:34

And the good news is that revolution doesn't start in Washington. It doesn't start with a ballot box. It doesn't start with pundits on TV. It starts with you, it starts with me, it starts with us. So let me paint a picture for you. In a Jesus revolution, enemies end up eating at the same table. In a Jesus revolution, forgiveness disarms hatred. In a Jesus revolution, peacemakers become the boldest leaders. In a Jesus revolution, businesses are built not to exploit but to empower. In a Jesus revolution, churches are not known for their politics but for the presence of Jesus in their midst. And that's what I'm contending for. That's what I see in my spirit. Not a nation run by the left, not a nation run by the right. A nation awakened by the Spirit of God, carried on the backs of ordinary people who chose to love instead of hate, build instead of burn, forgive instead of retaliate.

Speaker 1 47:45

I want you to think about this. John the Baptist's death didn't usher in a rebellion. It opened the door for Jesus's ministry. Stephen's martyrdom didn't shut down the gospel. It scattered, it, multiplied it. Jesus's own crucifixion didn't end his mission. It fulfilled it. Every time darkness thought it could silence the voice of God by shedding blood, it only amplified it.

Speaker 1 48:17

So what if that's happening right now? What if this tragedy is not the devil's victory but heaven's setup? What if Charlie Kirk's death, as public and painful as it is, what if it's meant to awaken us to the futility of politics as religion and drive us into the arms of Jesus? I've watched a lot of Charlie Kirk and I know that he was involved in a lot of political conversations, but at the end of the day I heard him say many times in his own words but what I really want to be known for is for the gospel of Jesus Christ. So what if his death is meant to awaken us to the futility of politics as religion and drive us into the arms of Jesus and friend?

Speaker 1 49:16

Just as I've watched terrible things on social media, I've also watched atheists who hadn't been to church in 20 years say I picked up my Bible and went to church this Sunday. I accepted Jesus Christ. I got baptized. I went to church today I hadn't been in 10 years. I took my whole family. My kids have never gone to church before. This is amazing, man. So here's the truth. This is not going to happen automatically. The truth this is not going to happen automatically.

Speaker 1 49:49

We could waste this moment. We could let it descend into more outrage, more vengeance, more division, chasing conspiracies, or we could seize it. We could say enough, not this time, not on our watch. We could decide that this is the line in the sand where the church stops echoing the culture or retaliating with the culture and starts embodying the kingdom. But, guys, I'm telling you, despite what these fear-mongering, christless pastor leaders in the church are saying right now, this could be the most courageous thing you ever do. It requires humility, it requires repentance. It requires voices like yours, wise messengers, builders, entrepreneurs to lead the way.

Speaker 1 50:41

You may be thinking to yourself, mark, what can I really do? I'm just one person. Well, just one person committed crazy evil and just one person dying created massive impact. But that's how every revolution starts one person choosing a different way. You may not control what happens in Washington, but you control the spirit of your business. You may not own a media empire, but you control the words that you put online. And you may not lead a megachurch, but you control the way you treat your neighbor. And those small choices multiplied across thousands of messengers, becomes unstoppable. So your role Be faithful with your wisdom, be faithful with your platform, be faithful with your influence. Build love, forgive, heal, because the Jesus revolution won't be televised. Well, it's going to be televised, but it's going to be televised because it lived through you.

A Bold Commission for Wise Builders

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Guys, this is the moment to be bold and courageous, non-violent, peaceful, forgiving, patient. I'm not saying bold in anger, not bold in vengeance, bold in love, bold in peace, bold in building something better, bold enough to have conversations with other people that don't believe like you. And yes, people are going to misunderstand you. They'll call you weak, they'll call you naive, they'll say you don't care about the real issues, you're just a lovey-dovey pacifist like Jesus. But history belongs to those who dare to look like Jesus when everyone else is losing their minds. That's courage, that's power, that's the Jesus revolution. So let me declare it over you, over this nation, over this moment. Let me declare it over you, over this nation, over this moment.

Speaker 1 52:53

Charlie Kirk's death will not be remembered as a spark of another war. It will be remembered as a catalyst for a new Jesus movement. It will not produce vengeance. It will produce voices. It will not multiply hatred. It will multiply healing. And it will not glorify politics. It will glorify Christ. And I believe, years from now, when we look back on this moment, we'll say that's when it shifted, that's when the church woke up, that's when the third option came alive.

Speaker 1 53:29

I've been trying to say this stuff since 2020. So here's my commission to you Step out of the noise, refuse the outrage, reject the war language and embody the way of Jesus. Be a builder, be a messenger, be a peacemaker, because the future doesn't belong to the extremes. It belongs to the wise, and I believe with all of my heart what we're about to see is the rise of a generation of wise builders who are going to change the world. This has been the Mark Casto Program. Guys, if this episode stirred something in you, go back and listen again, share it with a friend, don't just hear it. Live it and remember. Wisdom is greater than outrage, peace is stronger than war, and love is the most revolutionary force on earth. Guys, until next time, keep building with clarity and fire.