Have you been watching the news? Have you been on social media?
If you haven’t, let me catch you up…
On August 22, 2025, a young woman, Iryna Zarutska, was stabbed to death while riding a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
On August 27, 2025, children and adults were gunned down in Minneapolis at Annunciation Catholic School while attending a back-to-school Mass.
And most recently, on September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk- a beloved follower of Jesus, son, husband, father, friend, and much more- was assassinated in broad daylight while speaking to students at Utah Valley University.
After learning about these events, if you’re like me, you’re feeling heartbroken, angry, grief stricken or probably even confused.
I personally went through EVERY emotion listed.
Angry because of the SIN that is currently raging through our world.
Confused because I’ve seen God raise people back to life – my daughter being one of those people not almost three years ago coming up in March.
When she stopped breathing in my arms, when she stopped responding to stimulation, when she had no pulse, even as her beautiful once pink skin turned blue…
I prayed, “Put breath back into her lungs, in Jesus’ name.”
And God did.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pray a similar prayer a week and a half ago.
I’ve seen God do miracles in my lifetime.
Bringing Charlie Kirk back would have been another miracle of God.
Surely, then people would turn from their wicked ways and follow Him.
But He didn’t answer my prayer.
Enter confusion.
Years ago, the LORD gave me today’s blog title: “IT HAD TO HAPPEN”.
I didn’t know the totality of what He meant- until now.
You see Brothers, Sisters, people visiting for the first time: these events didn’t “just happen”.
In Ephesians 6:12, Apostle Paul writes, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”
Evil is raging its ugly head, and the time is now to call it out.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated while boldly SPEAKING.
No matter what political party you side with, no matter what you believe in, NO ONE deserves to be killed. Not Iryna. Not those at Annunciation School. Not Charlie Kirk.
As I watched the above assassination events unfold, I saw dearly loved friends and family, celebrating, rejoicing over Charlie Kirk’s death- even fellow believers creating reasons as to why it was “okay” that he was shot and killed.
But then I remembered… even Jesus was hated and killed because of what HE SAID. (See John 7:7, Matthew 26:63-66, Mark 15:12-13.)
Romans 12:11 reminds us that we overcome the evil one “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony”.
And in John 12:24, Jesus says:
“Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.”
For us to be reconciled to God, IT had to happen.
Jesus had to die.
And like Jesus’ death, that produced much fruit, I’m praying that in the same way, God would bring forth MUCH fruit from these tragedies.
God is alive, and revival is NOW!
So I ask you: What is “IT” for you?
What needs to die in your life?
Is it an adulterous affair? Deceit? Unforgiveness you’ve been holding onto? Or is it the bitterness from a death in your own life?
I declare that whatever “it” is for you-may it die. Any hurt, any pain, unforgiveness, bitterness, or, like me, ANGER.
May IT die so that, in its death, it would produce MUCH fruit.
Will you join me in this fight?
Let’s pray:
God,
Charlie Kirk was your beloved. Iryna Zarutska was your beloved. Those children that were killed at Annunciation Catholic School were your beloveds.
May their deaths not be in vain, but rather a wake-up call to the SIN that is so prevalent in this world and nation.
God, may we not be so naive that we disregard any of the current events as “happenstance”, but see them as a declaration of war between Light and Darkness.
Raise up your children- Pastors, Social Workers, Teachers, Moms and Dads. Wake us from our slumber and help us to carry the baton of faith Charlie Kirk has left behind.
From the oldest to the youngest, raise up an army that outshines the darkness in this world.
For your glory.
Do IT, God.
If you’re not currently a believer, Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
If this is you, confess with your mouth and comment below ‘I believe’ or message me privately so I can rejoice with you.
If you’re like me- who went through the many emotions listed above and need help walking through them- I encourage you: find a local Pastor in your area and get connected.
Call a friend. Pray. Open a Bible. And may God speak to you and encourage you as He did me.
#BelovedDoNotSettle
Samantha Salerno 