Barry Meguiar 00:03
Welcome back, everybody to this episode of Ignite with Barry Meguair. We’re the one and only Charlie Kirk, great to have you here man.
Charlie Kirk 00:09
Great to be here, man, you’re good friend. Thank you for having me.
Barry Meguiar 00:12
It goes back aways.
Charlie Kirk 00:13
It does.
Barry Meguiar 00:13
I’ve started thinking we’re at the Trump, the former Trump we lost it. It didn’t just kill you. It gone.
Charlie Kirk 00:19
Terrible. Is it really gone officially? No.
Barry Meguiar 00:21
It is a Waldorf Astoria, which is a great mark. But there was something magic going on at that hotel I mean that lobby. You just knew me bustling with, every time you walk in that lobby there’s a happiness, people you knew, right?
Charlie Kirk 00:32
Yeah.
Barry Meguiar 00:32
So I had a couple of people talking about you got to meet this guy. You were 22 years old.
Charlie Kirk 00:37
That’s right, six years ago. Yeah.
Barry Meguiar 00:39
And they said, This guy’s the smartest guy, you’ve ever met? These are two older guys my age. You know, they were very smart guys. And so I asked, you said sure. We had a little lunch there on the mezzanine.
Charlie Kirk 00:47
I remember that.
Barry Meguiar 00:48
And, and I walk away saying they’re right. And I want to know this guy. So what’s happened from then too now? I learned the early days, for me watching Fox. It was one day I don’t want to take too much time with this but I remember, it’s some guy with all kinds of letters around his name when they’re talking about something. Some remote country the geopolitical status of something. I never heard of it before. And I thought boy, he’s in big trouble now. And you just do just annihilate them. And you may remember you may not but I would send you a text.
Charlie Kirk 01:19
I remember enthusiastic texts.
Barry Meguiar 01:21
That’s my guy. That’s my friend. And then you just did it so much. I couldn’t stop sending you text messages.
Charlie Kirk 01:30
Reinforcement meant a lot Barry.
Barry Meguiar 01:33
It’s been so exciting about things turning point USA. Tell us a little about when that’s not about that. But now I want everybody to know how they reach you. What are you doing?
Charlie Kirk 01:42
There might be some similar goals. Look, we fight for liberty, which is God’s idea, not man’s idea on high school and college campuses across the country. We try to train and equip young people to become informed citizens so that they can preserve the American republic.
Barry Meguiar 01:54
How many campuses are you on?
Charlie Kirk 01:56
Over 3000 High School and college campuses across.
Barry Meguiar 01:59
And I love it. You go down the high school campuses.
Charlie Kirk 02:02
Which is where really the action is and Barry what’s amazing is look at Turning Point USA our charter documents are secular, we have a Christian leadership. However, at our event, America Fest you saw we had Jack Hibbs and oh my god, we had hundreds of kids give their life to the Lord after that worship, sir.
Barry Meguiar 02:15
You know, they’re like, 15,000 people there. I was the oldest guy there.
Charlie Kirk 02:19
I don’t think so. Well,
Barry Meguiar 02:20
The next oldest guy was like 30 years younger than me. But almost all I would say we be below 35 years of age.
Charlie Kirk 02:27
That’s right.
Barry Meguiar 02:28
That was what was so encouraged.
Charlie Kirk 02:29
They’re young, and they want to take they want to take actions
Barry Meguiar 02:32
That’s our future.
Charlie Kirk 02:33
Meaningful actions for their country.
Barry Meguiar 02:34
Man I tell you, that was amazing.
Charlie Kirk 02:36
Thank you.
Barry Meguiar 02:36
That was really amazing. But everything you’re doing it just it’s just it gets better and better. And, and boy you led the charge and getting people on board. And they’re they’re education, the Board of Education, they’ve what do you call them?
Charlie Kirk 02:49
School boards.
Barry Meguiar 02:50
Yeah, and I mean, look how that’s take it off. And it’s just great. Just thank you for what you’ve, how did they get to you. Right?
Charlie Kirk 02:56
Tp usa.com If anyone’s interested, or Charlie Kirk.com.
Barry Meguiar 03:00
And your podcast, I don’t know how you how many podcasts do you do a day?
Charlie Kirk 03:03
Well, we do three podcasts a day.
Barry Meguiar 03:04
How does your team, must be going crazy.
Charlie Kirk 03:07
And they’re never, it’s an ever growing thing.
Barry Meguiar 03:09
And I heard you say if they could keep up with it, I do for that.
Charlie Kirk 03:11
Exactly. And when we do this speaking, and we do the turning point stuff, but look, God, God gives us energy he wants us to multiple.
Barry Meguiar 03:19
You know, the unique thing about you is obviously God’s giving you you know, great intelligence. But you’re you’re ferverent. I mean, nobody explains the history of our country better than you and, and all that took place to build this country. God gave it to us. But but your understanding of Scripture of the gospel of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the way you explain the plan of salvation, and your own unique way, is as popular as I’ve ever heard anybody and the fact that you are equally as gifted and patient in both fields. I mean, you said this, it’s amazing. I’m honored to know you. I mean, I just like, wow, I know this guy. He’s my friend.
Charlie Kirk 03:57
Well, we’re all we’re all saved. And very you inspire me to want to share my faith more, you really have.
Barry Meguiar 04:02
Well, we should inspire each other. That’s what it’s about. Right? It really is. Let’s talk about that a little bit. Because what you say, and hear you said a lot of different ways, but we need to get off the bench and into the game. But we have game, but we’re just sitting there quiet.
Charlie Kirk 04:18
Yeah.
Barry Meguiar 04:18
I mean, can you articulate for them? I know, it’s a frustration to you.
Charlie Kirk 04:21
You said something on my podcast that really made me think and I did some praying on this and journaling. You know, we’re called to be salt and light and they changed their environment, that I have never heard anyone say that before.
Barry Meguiar 04:30
Wow. And it’s so true.
Charlie Kirk 04:32
You know, it’s all about going into places that might be different and to change them for the Kingdom. Right. And so look, I tell people all the time, the work I do is about the second most important thing out there. Before I get to the second thing we’ve talked about the first thing winning people for Jesus Christ. That’s the most important thing we could do. The second thing, look, my day job is to make sure you can do the first thing to make sure that we have self government and civil government that makes these things happen.
Barry Meguiar 04:55
Exactly, exactly and we’re about to lose those when Eric Metaxas when they he said you know people in Germany, they didn’t speak up, and then the lost their opportunity to speak. And that’s what’s going to happen here. I mean, they’re trying real hard to be to shut us up. And we better be standing up and fighting for I mean, it’s, there’s no separation.
Charlie Kirk 05:14
No, there isn’t, and it’s all about setting the captives free, right. So the story of Exodus, the story of Jesus is about setting people free from their sinful nature. We don’t deserve to be set free, we don’t know. But God does not want that his desire for his children is not for us to live in tyranny, to not to live in damnation. And so we’ve received this not by anything we’ve done, but by a gift of grace, and it’s for us to continue to share it. And you know, Barry, my, I believe my calling is to make sure that the people, the image bearers, that of God, do not live in earthly tyranny that we can, that we can preserve this experiment of self government, which is so exceptional, so unique and derived from the Bible.
Barry Meguiar 05:51
So we have 80% of the unchurched, you and I’ve talked about you have 80% of that church, that are actually looking for the know the world is out of control, that they they’re looking for somebody to tell them about God, is there a God they’re looking for, but only 1% of us are doing it’s literally the, the fields are white for harvest, and the laborers are few. But that also says how are they going to go and tell unless they’re sent? Our pastors, let’s talk about our pastors for a minute, because that on a political standpoint, you want to call it that in the public, in the public arena they’re being quiet, but they’re also not doing their job in the public, sending people. So we’re just we’re dumbing everybody down to three point sermons that make them feel good.
Charlie Kirk 06:31
That’s right.
Barry Meguiar 06:32
And people now think sharing their faith is being a good person, though.
Charlie Kirk 06:36
And look, I’ll tell you very, you know, I traveled college campuses, and I say, Jesus Christ is the king of the world, and you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. And you’ll receive backlash for that. And that’s where something of a some people say, Hey, I was all on board for this Christian thing, until I start to lose friends or get nasty emails. Now, for me, it doesn’t faze me, because when you’re in the political space, you’re just kind of get use to that, right. But that’s where I kind of I asked these pastors, I say, hey, you know, you got to be willing to accept the arrows to accept the backlash. And look there, we’re at a moment in time in our country right now, or in our civilization, where church attendance is going down. And people are devoid of purpose, most have alcohol addicted, drug addicted, suicidal, depressed and medicated generation in history, but it’s also the least religious and least churched and least Christian generation in history. I believe those things are directly correlated together.
Barry Meguiar 06:37
You know, to the farthest out person, I found a way to engage them easily. And I don’t ever have people get mad at us. They don’t get mad at you when you say God loves you. I said, you know, God loves you. They don’t get mad at me. No, he really loves you. I mean, they’ll be angry. They’ll be gnarly, people as I wonder, do you know God loves you? He doesn’t love me. Yeah, he does. No. I’m a Christian. I can tell you, he loves you. Do you know why? In fact, he loves you as much as he ever loved anybody. They can’t take it. They can’t comprehend it. After all they’ve done there’s no way and they think all the bad stuff their life is God beating up on them. When God’s just tried to get their attention.
Charlie Kirk 07:24
Right.
Barry Meguiar 07:30
And you just shared the love is a fact. I go the next time and guess what he even love you as much as He loves His own Son, Jesus. That’s how much he loves you. He loves you. They want to take care of you want you to go to when did they that breaks through all the barriers? It just so you know, our site, we’ve just done a lot over 50 years, we’ve kind of perfected when, you know, over 50 years of doing the same, you get kind of good really well, you know, I’d say you know, when you first started shooting a basket of bounces off the backboard, pretty soon you start getting some in, a little technique. So we’ve been doing for 50 years. And it just gets so easy to find ways to tell things to people, and they’re not bothered by it. They’re intrigued by it. And the world is hungry for what we have.
Charlie Kirk 08:14
Amen. That’s right. They’re hungry for the truth. And you’re seeing it all around us and societal and moral and political chaos.
Barry Meguiar 08:49
And America as you started laying it that’s opening, you get the best. I feel sorry for Tucker, after you followed him. But you laid it down the gospel and the the kids stood up and clapped. They’re wanting to hear this they wanting to hear truth.
Charlie Kirk 09:05
Well, yeah, I mean, look programmed in us we are mind, body and soul in our soul is that we want to get back in communion with our father. That’s and that distance bothers people and it should. And that distance sometimes tries to get filled in momentary ways of alcohol or pleasure seeking or power seeking. Yeah, but we want to get back into communion where the earth and heaven meet. And of course, that will never happen until we actually are detached from our body. And our soul actually has community eternity and heaven is a real place. And what an amazing thing for us to be able to share with people and so that’s why they applaud because all of a sudden their soul spikes open. They’re like, wait,
Barry Meguiar 09:38
You touch them.
Charlie Kirk 09:39
I can touch it’s not just touching the mind. Yeah, it’s not just about the body but the soul gets activated.
Barry Meguiar 09:44
Intellectually touched. And those moments at that moment I look at those kids go, that’s a spirit of the Lord.
Charlie Kirk 09:49
Amen.
Barry Meguiar 09:50
There was a anointing on that I came over the whole whole place. It’s just it’s just so amazing.
Charlie Kirk 09:54
Yeah,
Barry Meguiar 09:55
We have, we have to break away quite frankly, from everything we told about been told about sharing faith that you got to memorize this, you got to do this, you got to, you know, memorize your story and find one person a today. Well out of the all of the people I’m going to see today, I got to pick one, you know, we should tell everybody there. So you want to reach everybody. But I say it’s so easy. You just have to show up.
Charlie Kirk 10:16
Amen.
Barry Meguiar 10:16
Because he arranges the, he arranges the appointments, you know, he, you know, it’s not by accident, he puts people in your life. And then he gives you the words to say you don’t have to prepare and you do that then he says, when you do that, I’ll give you the joy.
Charlie Kirk 10:31
That is the thing
Barry Meguiar 10:32
The key is just like the across the board, everything you’re talking about. He got to be willing to get into the game.
Charlie Kirk 10:37
That’s right. So if you’re in the Uber, right, and you’re driving to the airport, you could tell your Uber driver is having a tough day. Do you have the willingness to bridge the gap between that Uber driver, right, but let me give you a better example. Okay, so I talked to a lot of Uber drivers, and they say yeah, people open up to them all the time. You know why? Because they never think they’re gonna see them again. Do you have the willingness to do that to your cousin?
Barry Meguiar 10:54
Yeah.
Charlie Kirk 10:55
To your aunt. That’s hard. That’s really hard. That’s the proximity the closer you are to somebody, because you know, Barry, I gotta say, you know, doing the stranger thing. That’s that but getting into the close proximity thing, someone you know, really well, and they know some things you’ve done wrong. That’s tough. Yeah, but I am really, we’re called to do it though.
Barry Meguiar 11:13
It’s family stuff. I say I’m a taxi ministry. I have a restaurant ministry. I got all these different ministries, Who, whoever God puts in your path where you have a time to talk to them you could just just ask them, questions, just love on him. He says,
Charlie Kirk 11:26
Right.
Barry Meguiar 11:27
If you love them, they’ll know you’re my disciple. Not by your brain, braininees, or your memorization of scripture or whatever. It’s just loving them. And you know what the Holy Spirit listen to your your love is real within moments. I mean, within five minutes, they’re telling you their deepest needs. It’s amazing how fast they open up. And then God gives you the scripture that you hadn’t thought up for 10 years, and all of a sudden, there it is. And that gives you intimacy with God. It puts a bounce in your step, but it’s just so fun. So you know, our ministry, we call it a ignite because that’s what it does, right? You’re ignited I mean, nobody has to ignite you. You’re just automatic. Well, you’re in the game.
Charlie Kirk 12:03
We’re in the game and you know, Barry, I’m inspired by your energy and your enthusiasm and your joy and you have joy, because you see yourself really pushing forward for the ministry. It’s for the gospel, I should say.
Barry Meguiar 12:15
And John 15:11, I we didn’t have any joy. We were doing everything we could we had no joy. We’re volunteering for stuff. But man, we did everything in the church, you know, and we had no joy and Karen actually talked about it. Why do I not have joy? And then I met Herb Ellingwood. Herb Ellingwood was the legal affairs secretary for Governor Reagan. That’s how far back I go. It was 1973 and I sat next to him at the head table. And for an hour before he spoke, he was telling me one crazy story after another about how I was in the store, that I was in this waiting room and I couldn’t believe it. And I just I’ve never seen such a happy man in all my life. And I walked away in tears. And God, that’s I want what he’s got, you know. And our prayer says, make me a Herb Ellingwood to as many people as I can. So Karen and I started sharing our faith. It’s a funny thing we had joy didn’t realize it. All of a sudden, we’re having a lot of fun it’s because we both started sharing our faith. And then I found John 15:11 where he says it’s the parable of the fig tree. You know, the branches that bear and the dry branches, he just throws them over the fire you will go there but folks, you don’t want to go there. But he said when you bear fruit then you are my disciple and and in my joy will remain with you and your joy will remain full and it just happens. It’s so much fun. And then to bring in all the all the the intellect that up. I mean, my understanding of my own country’s background is increased overflowing into what you’ve been doing, and you’re inspiring people. And it just I just can’t thank you enough for what you’re doing. You and you encouraging people.
Charlie Kirk 12:34
Wow. Everyone listening, just be on fire for your faith.
Barry Meguiar 13:49
Yeah. Everybody knows, Charlie knows he loves the Lord.
Charlie Kirk 13:52
Thank you.
Barry Meguiar 13:52
Everybody knows that you have a patience for God, It’s very special. So in closing, what would you say to people how they need to get involved. They need to get off the bench. That look, you know, if you sit there, you’re just atrophy. And you just sit there and you forget even the basic scriptures. You know, you sit very long, you don’t even want to do anything anymore. You’re very kind.
Charlie Kirk 14:12
And there’s some commonality with kind of how we
Barry Meguiar 14:14
What’s going on here?
Charlie Kirk 14:15
Yeah, how we empower some of our students to talk about this, like Jesus asked questions. You might not have to know every little thing about apologetics or, you know, the the order of the gospels were written. Yeah, that stuff can all be worked out.
Barry Meguiar 14:26
Yeah.
Charlie Kirk 14:26
Right. But, but are you asking questions? Are you willing to take that step of boldness? Right? And that really is the willingness question. And you know, I’d love to dive into the psychology of it. I’m sure you know why people are so hesitant to share their faith. And it just might be that they’re comfortable the way they are.
Barry Meguiar 14:41
They haven’t been taught. Nobody’s telling them I want to do it. I never heard this. Nobody ever told me this before. Pastors are, the responsibilities right at the pulpit. It really is. But asking questions. Exactly. It didn’t
Charlie Kirk 14:53
Jesus asked questions.
Barry Meguiar 14:54
You ask questions and boy do they come back
Charlie Kirk 14:56
And that starts the flow and
Barry Meguiar 14:58
Everybody’s hurting and nobody cares? And then there’s all sudden the stranger that starts asking questions and they really care. And they know in their hearts, you really care.
Charlie Kirk 15:08
That’s right.
Barry Meguiar 15:08
It’s incredible. So what can we pray for you about? We’ve got so many things going on right now.
Charlie Kirk 15:14
Just for wisdom and a sound mind. Protection, the spiritual battle is real. We must know Satan is a real force. But Satan is inferior to our Lord. But Satan has earthly powers. He, and Jesus never questioned the power that Satan had here on earth. You know, Paul called Satan, the god of this world. Jesus called them the prince of this world, we are in enemy occupied territory. And so if you feel that your days getting confused, or thrown off course, or your thoughts aren’t where they want to be, you know, we need to get back to prayer, we need to get back into alignment in obedience. And so just pray for that.
Barry Meguiar 15:49
And we’re running out of time We are running out of time. Running out of time and the rapture could happen at anytime.
Charlie Kirk 15:53
Could happen right now.
Barry Meguiar 15:54
It could, I would, I was looking up this afternoon. And I had some worship music going on. I thought, man, we’re so close. We could be there today. You know, if that’s the case, then what are we doing between now and when that happens? You know, I, I often mentioned you how many people do know that or lost that our friends of yours that are family of yours? If you knew for sure he’s coming back tomorrow? What would you be doing right now?
Charlie Kirk 16:18
That’s right.
Barry Meguiar 16:19
And that’s what we need to be doing every day. And
Charlie Kirk 16:21
Then it’s gonna be a test of us. I mean, the day, that the day and the hour is unkown, right. We know the signs of the times. But I think that God keeps it unknown because he wants to see what we will do.
Barry Meguiar 16:29
Yeah, even Jesus doesn’t know.
Charlie Kirk 16:31
Yeah, that’s right.
Barry Meguiar 16:32
It’s pretty easy. Well, you know, we’re in different generations. And your your focus particularly on the on the on the, on the public square, and all the history and what’s going on in government and all that is just just amazing. But at the same time we are kindred spirits. I mean, we are different in a lot of ways and yet we’re serving the same God.
Charlie Kirk 16:53
It’s all about setting people free.
Barry Meguiar 16:55
In the Spirit and we are one in that it’s fun to be partnered with you and in fighting that.
Charlie Kirk 17:01
I’m such a fan of what you do.
Barry Meguiar 17:04
Everybody pray for this guy okay, he’s got a lot of a lot of years ahead of him and influencing a lot of people and it’s all prayer. God stationed continued to say he already doing it. Because you have to have a salvation or you would have been dead a long time ago. But I mean seriously I mean, a lot of people want to do you harm but God get into station your guardian angels and protect Charlie and manage doing, guiding, directing all you do. You’re just an amazing guy.
Charlie Kirk 17:28
God bless you Barry.
Barry Meguiar 17:29
Happy to be your friend.
Charlie Kirk 17:31
Thank you.
Barry Meguiar 17:31
See you next time.
